For the next six months, we'll be watching the National Hurricane Center closely to see if predictions for an above-average season come true.

In the Atlantic Basin, which includes storms that form in the Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of America (formerly known as Gulf of Mexico), hurricane season lasts from June 1 until Nov. 30. Historically, 97% of all tropical cyclones in the Atlantic will form between those two dates.

Atlantic hurricane season has officially kicked off, and early forecasts indicate that disaster preparations should be made now.