Hurricane Hugo: Sept. 1989 radar image from National Weather Service

April 16: The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season will see 12 to 15 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.

The number of named storms predicted is in line with recent averages, according to Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State. The long-term (1951 to 2023) average of named storms is 11, and the more recent average (1994 to 2024) is 15 named storms.

Of the predicted 12 to 15 named storms, six to eight may grow strong enough to become hurricanes (the historical average is six), with the possibility of two to three storms becoming major hurricanes.

Hurricane season starts June 1.

Here are the names of this year’s hurricanes:

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

Background

The most notable hurricane to impact Charlotte, North Carolina, was Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Hugo, a Category 4 storm, caused significant damage and disruption across the region, including Charlotte. Other significant hurricanes affecting the Carolinas include Hurricane Hazel (1954), Hurricane Diana (1984), Hurricane Fran (1996), Hurricane Floyd (1999), Hurricane Florence (2018), and Hurricane Matthew (2016).

Wind gusts in Charlotte reached 80-100 mph during Hugo.