2022 Hurricane Outlooks and 2021 Hurricane Season Review
INSIGHTi
2022 Hurricane Outlooks and 2021 Hurricane
Season Review
Updated August 9, 2022
Many in Congress have expressed interest in increasing scientific understanding of tropical cyclones and
improving forecasts to help their constituents prepare for the yearly hurricane season and potentially
decrease a storm’s impact on an individual or community. The Department of Commerce’s National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for issuing tropical cyclone forecasts,
including track, intensity, storm surge, and rainfall.
NOAA defines a tropical cyclone as a “rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that
originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation.” According to
NOAA, tropical cyclones include
Tropical depressions—maximum sustained winds of ≤ 38 miles per hour (mph).
Tropical storms—maximum sustained winds of 39-73 mph. NOAA typically names a
storm once it reaches this strength.
Hurricanes—maximum sustained winds of ≥ 74 mph, corresponding to at least a category
1 or 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Hurricanes may also be called
typhoons or cyclones.
Major hurricanes—maximum sustained winds of ≥111 mph, corresponding to a category
3, 4, or 5.
NOAA releases seasonal hurricane outlooks relevant to the United States, including the North Atlantic,
Eastern Pacific, and Central Pacific Oceans, before each hurricane season begins. Such outlooks include
information on potential named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes. The Eastern Pacific season
begins May 15, whereas the Atlantic and Central Pacific seasons begin June 1. All seasons run through
November 30. Tropical cyclones, however, may form outside of these time frames. In August, NOAA
typically updates the Atlantic outlook but not the Pacific outlooks. Multiple nonfederal entities also
publish outlooks. These forecasts rely, in part, on NOAA’s collected and shared information.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN11941
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress
link to page 2 link to page 2 link to page 3 link to page 3 Congressional Research Service
2
2022 Hurricane Season Outlooks
In May 2022, NOAA issued its initial 2022 Atlantic hurricane outlook (Table 1), indicating a 65%
likelihood of an above-normal season rather than a near- (25%) or below-normal season (10%). The
predicted number of named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes was similar to the number predicted
for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA indicated that the higher level of activity is attributed to
climate factors, such as the ongoing periodic cooling of sea surface temperatures in the Central and East-
Central Equatorial Pacific (La Niña phenomenon), warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the
Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds, and an enhanced West African
monsoon system. In August 2022, NOAA mostly reaffirmed its May outlook, indicating a 60% likelihood
of an above-normal season rather than a near- (30%) or below-normal season (10%).
Table 1. 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season:
1991-2020 Annual Averages and 2022 Outlooks
1991-2020 Annual
NOAA August 2022
Averages
NOAA May 2022 Outlook
Outlook
Named Storms
14
14-21
14-20
Hurricanes
7
6-10
6-10
Major Hurricanes
3
3-6
3-5
Sources: NOAA, “Tropical Cyclone Climatology” (hereinafter, NOAA, “TC Climatology”); NOAA, “NOAA 2022
Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook,” May 24, 2022; and NOAA, “NOAA Stil Expects Above-Normal Atlantic Hurricane
Season,” August 4, 2022.
Notes: NA = not available. NOAA notes a 70% probability for each of the May 2022 outlook ranges of activity.
NOAA released its 2022 outlooks for the Eastern (Table 2) and Central Pacific hurricane seasons in May
2022. NOAA anticipated that both the Eastern and the Central Pacific areas likely would experience
below-normal seasons (60%) rather than near- (30%) or above-normal seasons (10%).
Table 2. 2022 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season:
1991-2020 Annual Averages and 2022 Outlook
1991-2020 Annual Averages
NOAA May 2022 Outlook
Named Storms
15
10-17
Hurricanes
8
4-8
Major Hurricanes
4
0-3
Sources: NOAA, “TC Climatology”; NOAA, “NOAA 2022 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season Outlook,” May 24, 2022.
Note: NOAA notes a 70% probability for each of the May 2022 outlook ranges of activity.
NOAA predicts two to four tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific in 2022 (the average is four to five
tropical cyclones per year).
2021 Hurricane Season
The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season (Table 3, Figure 1) was the third most active year on record in terms
of named storms (21) and the sixth consecutive year with an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season.
Since 2016, a tropical cyclone has formed before the June 1 start of the hurricane season (e.g., tropical
storm Ana formed in May 2021).
link to page 4 link to page 5 link to page 5
Congressional Research Service
3
Table 3. 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season: Outlooks and Actual Amounts
NOAA May 2021
NOAA August 2021
Outlook
Outlook
2021 Actual
Named Storms
13-20
15-21
21
Hurricanes
6-10
7-10
7
Major Hurricanes
3-5
3-5
4
Sources: NOAA, “NOAA Predicts Another Active Atlantic Hurricane Season,” May 20, 2021; NOAA, “Atlantic
Hurricane Season Shows No Signs of Slowing,” August 4, 2021; and NOAA, “Active 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Officially Ends,” November 30, 2021.
Figure 1. NOAA’s 2021 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Tracks
Source: NOAA, National Hurricane Center.
Note: Major hurricanes (Grace, Ida, Larry, Sam) denoted in purple.
The 2021 Eastern Pacific hurricane season (Table 4, Figure 2) began with Tropical Storm Andres
forming May 9, 2021. The season featured two major hurricanes: Felicia and Linda.
NOAA predicted the Central Pacific would experience two to five tropical cyclones in 2021. The Central
Pacific Basin averaged four to five tropical cyclones per year between 1991 and 2020. One tropical
cyclone (Jimena) traveled from the Eastern Pacific into the Central Pacific Basin in 2021 (see Tropical
Storm Jimena’s track on Figure 2).
Congressional Research Service
4
Table 4. 2021 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season: Outlook and Actual Amounts
NOAA May 2021 Outlook
2021 Actual
Named Storms
12-18
19
Hurricanes
5-10
6
Major Hurricanes
2-5
2
Sources: NOAA, “NOAA 2021 Eastern Pacific Hurricane Season Outlook,” May 20, 2021; and NOAA, “Eastern North
Pacific Hurricane Season Summary Table.”
Congressional Research Service
5
Figure 2. NOAA’s 2021 Eastern Pacific Tropical Cyclone Tracks
Source: NOAA, National Hurricane Center.
Note: Major hurricanes (Felicia, Linda) denoted in purple.
Congressional Research Service
6
Author Information
Eva Lipiec
Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff
to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United
States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However,
as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the
permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
IN11941 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED