Forecasters Predict ‘Near Normal’ Hurricane Season

U.S. forecasters expect a “near normal” Atlantic hurricane season, with up to 14 named tropical storms this year during the hurricane season that begins Monday, the Associated Press reported.

The nine to 14 named storms are expected to include four to seven hurricanes, of which one to three are likely to be major, with winds of at least 111 mph, AP said.

About 1,000 people died in last year’s active Atlantic hurricane season, mainly in Caribbean countries, AP reported.

In 2005, two big Gulf Coast hurricanes, Katrina and Rita, led to then-record spikes in oil, gasoline and diesel prices.