Above-average Atlantic hurricane activity is forecast this year, and the US Insurance Information Institute is calling on property owners to prepare for the season.

Colorado State University researchers have forecast 17 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes, compared with a typical season of 14 storms and seven hurricanes – three of them major.

“History has proven states along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts face the prospect of catastrophic, hurricane-caused property damage,” Triple-I CEO Sean Kevelighan said.

“With more Americans living in harm’s way than ever before, it is critical for everyone residing in a hurricane-prone community to make preparedness a priority for the upcoming season.”

Hurricane Preparedness Week runs from May 4-10, and the season extends from June 1 to November 30.

Colorado State University researchers say sea surface temperatures across the eastern and central Atlantic are generally warmer than normal, but not as warm as this time last year. 

A warmer-than-normal tropical Atlantic, combined with a likely neutral El Nino Southern Oscillation or potential La Nina, is typically more conducive to hurricane formation and intensification, they say.

“We anticipate an above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental US coastline and in the Caribbean.”  

UK forecaster Tropical Storm Risk predicts activity close to the 1991-2020 climate norm, with 14 tropical storms, seven hurricanes and three intense hurricanes.

“Although uncertainty remains high, current projections predict sea surface temperatures to be near or slightly above normal, and ENSO conditions to be neutral through summer and autumn 2025, which are expected to have a near-neutral influence on the season,” it says.