In a statement, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said NOAA has “never been more prepared for hurricane season,” pointing to “advanced weather models and cutting-edge hurricane tracking systems” that should provide Americans with real-time storm forecasts and warnings.

NOAA released its outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season on May 22, forecasting a range of 13 to 19 named storms and the odds of an above-normal season reaching 60%. Of the predicted storms, NOAA says between 6-10 will become hurricanes, and 3-5 will intensify to major hurricanes (Category 3+).

For many people, Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. But along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, it also means the start of hurricane season is nearly here. This particular hurricane season comes at a moment when NOAA and its agencies are being cut and facing their own turmoil.

A NOAA official says that “everything has ground to a halt” at the agency as staffers have waited for Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to review more than 200 agreements

House Democrats plan to introduce legislation overnight that would prevent further Trump administration cuts to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funding or staffing after severe storms across the country drew attention to staffing cuts in National Weather Service field offices.