'Far From Frantic': How Active Has The 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season Been?

Atlantic hurricane season officially spans from June to November, but only a sliver of total activity usually occurs before August.

That makes early-season developments a useful pulse check on what may lie ahead.

So far, as Visual Capitalist shows in the chart below, 2025’s pulse is steady but far from frantic.

A Measured Start to 2025

The graphic above, created by USAFacts using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data, plots every Atlantic system since 2015 by the month it formed and the strongest category it reached. Green dots denote tropical storms, blue dots Category 1–2 hurricanes, and purple dots Category 3+ “major” hurricanes.

So far in 2025, the dots are sparse: four storms, none exceeding tropical-storm strength. By early August a typical season averages three named storms, so this year is slightly ahead of the curve. That said, it’s far calmer than 2020, which was the early-season outlier.

Below is a detailed look at every Atlantic storm (2015-2025) and its peak intensity:

Where Storms Hit Home

The county-level map below shades areas that have endured at least one bout of 39 mph winds since 2015. The deepest purples hug the Gulf Coast, Florida peninsula, and the Outer Banks, but inland regions from Georgia’s wiregrass to eastern North Carolina also light up, evidence that wind impacts reach far beyond shorelines.

For perspective on how damaging these systems can be, see our ranking of the costliest hurricanes to hit the U.S.

Looking Ahead

Climatology shows the first hurricane typically spins up in early to mid-August, with major-category hurricanes following later that month. Warm sea-surface temperatures and a likely transition toward neutral ENSO conditions could still unlock the ingredients for rapid intensification. In short: a quiet opening is no guarantee of a quiet finish.

As peak season approaches, preparedness remains key for coastal communities.

Explore our companion visualization, Visualizing the Typical Atlantic Hurricane Season, and hundreds of other bite-sized data stories.