Hurricane Forecast Predicts Up to 9 Storms

This year’s Atlantic hurricane season may be more active than usual, with as many as nine storms, which could include five major hurricanes, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

At least two or three tropical storms, including a major hurricane, will likely reach the East Coast between Florida and New England, Bloomberg reported, citing a forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

At the lower end of the forecast, as few as six Atlantic hurricanes may form, including two major storms, which would make this year an average year, Bloomberg reported.

NOAA, a government agency, predicted 12 to 16 named storms during the hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

The big Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 led to a steep climb in fuel prices, after Gulf Coast refineries were closed in their wake.