Galveston, TX – June 10, 2025 — In a region increasingly at risk, the Galveston Economic Development Partnership’s recent Member Blender + Resiliency Workshop brought leaders, experts, and business owners together to sharpen strategies for navigating today’s heightened disaster landscape.

Forecasting a Busy Hurricane Season

Forecaster Dr. Hal "Hurricane Hal" Needham emphasized that both NOAA and Colorado State University predict an above-normal 2025 hurricane season. NOAA estimates a 60% chance of above-average activity—expecting 13–19 named storms and 3–5 major hurricanes

Cresting that forecast, CSU foresees 17 named storms and 9 hurricanes, 4 of which could be major; they assign a 51% chance of a U.S. landfalling major hurricane, and a 33% chance for a Gulf Coast landfall

Sessions highlighted that storms are not only becoming more frequent but intensifying faster—driven by warmer sea surface temperatures, shifting ENSO patterns, and stretched forecasting resources.