Charlotte preps for 2025 hurricane season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte officials will advocate on Monday morning for early preparation ahead of the 2025 hurricane season.

Researchers are predicting a slightly above-average hurricane season. North Carolina State researchers predict 15-20 named stories while Colorado State University predicts 23. The average number of named storms is 14 while 2023 saw 20, including Hurricane Helene.

Mecklenburg County residents experienced impacts from Helene when excessive flooding from the Catawba River damaged homes along Riverside Drive.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also releases an annual outlook. In recent years, that official government outlook was published in late May.

Earlier this year, NOAA issued a La Niña watch predicting a change in the global weather pattern. During an active El Niño pattern, wind shear is often reduced. A reduction in wind sheer, combined with the warm ocean surface temperatures, allows more tropical systems to form in the Atlantic basin.