Forecasters Warn Of 'Explosive Development' Ahead Of Hurricane Season: VA Impact

VIRGINIA — Similar to last year, the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season could be an energetic one, as forecasters predicted 13 to 18 named storms to come this year. While Florida and the Gulf states typically bear the brunt of hurricanes, Virginia was hit by devastating flooding from storm remnants last year.

AccuWeather on Wednesday released its overview for the upcoming hurricane season, which starts on June 1. The season's peak will be on Sept. 10.

The Atlantic waters are warmer than usual this year, contributing to a potentially flourishing and "explosive development" this hurricane season.

Tropical weather can be expected as early as June and could ramp up by the end of the year, AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said in a news release.

Virginia is one of multiple states on the East Coast that could see impacts from the severe weather. Issues can arise from flooding, strong winds, tornadoes spun off by the storm fronts and rising tides in low-lying areas like Old Town Alexandria.

"A rapid intensification of storms will likely be a major story yet again this year as sea-surface temperatures and ocean heat content across most of the basin are forecast to be well above average," DaSilva said in a news release.

Related:

• New 2025 VA Hurricane Forecast: Up To 5 Major Storms Predicted
• New 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Forecast: Here's What To Expect In VA

A La Niña in the fall could mean an "active end to the hurricane season similar to what we saw last year," DaSilva said in the release.

Forecasters said seven to 10 of the named storms could become hurricanes, and of those, three to five could become reach Category 3 major status or higher. As for how many of these storms could directly hit the U.S., AccuWeather surmises three to six.

Names For 2025 Hurricane Season

The names for storms in the 2025 hurricane season from the National Hurricane Center are:

• Andrea
• Barry
• Chantal
• Dexter
• Erin
• Fernand
• Gabrielle
• Humberto
• Imelda
• Jerry
• Karen
• Lorenzo
• Melissa
• Nestor
• Olga
• Pablo
• Rebekah
• Sebastien
• Tanya
• Van
• Wendy

DaSilva warned there is a 20 percent chance that more than 18 named storms could exist.

Predictions For Busy 2025 Season Stem From 2024 Experience

This year's expectations nearly falls in line with that of 2024, when there were five major hurricanes and six direct U.S. impacts. The Atlantic experienced 18 named storms last year, according to AccuWeather.

To determine its hurricane forecast, AccuWeather examined the accumulate cyclone energy, which the agency said measures the intensity of tropical systems. This year's ACE is expected to be slightly higher than the 30-year historical average.

The 2024 hurricane season showed forecasters that states do not have to live on the coast to be affected by the storms.

“We witnessed tragic examples of just how far inland the impacts from hurricanes and tropical storms can reach. Hurricane Beryl spun up more than 60 tornadoes along its nearly 1,200-mile-long path from the Texas coast to upstate New York,” DaSilva said in the release.

“Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flash flooding and destructive winds to the mountains of western North Carolina, hundreds of miles inland from where the storm made landfall in Florida."

Helene was deadly when it hit in October, killing 202 people in the Southeast and potentially costing the U.S. billions of dollars, President Joe Biden said at the time.

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