Will this year’s hurricane season be as bad as 2016? NOAA says it could be.

It’s only been a little over seven months since Hurricane Matthew ripped through South Carolina, leaving so much destruction in its path that the Lowcountry still hasn’t completely recovered.

The 2016 hurricane season marked the most deadly the Atlantic had seen in over a decade with more than 600 reported deaths from Matthew alone.

And this year could be just as bad, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA’s 2017 Atlantic hurricane season predictions show a 45 percent certainty of “another above-normal hurricane season” for this year.

The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season outlook predicts:

• 11 to 17 named storms
• 5 to 9 hurricanes
• 2 to 4 major hurricanes (reaching wind speeds of 111 mph. or higher)

According to NOAA, the average hurricane season only produces 12 named storms.

By comparison, the 2016 season had 15 named tropical storms, seven of which developed into hurricanes.

Hurricane Matthew became the first Category 5 hurricane since 2007.

Despite weakening to a Category 2 before making landfall in South Carolina, it wreaked havoc across the East Coast.

This year’s season is off to an early start — Tropical Storm Arlene formed over the eastern Atlantic in April, becoming the second tropical storm on record to form that early in the spring.

The official hurricane season runs June 1 through Nov. 30.

But whyis the 2017 season expected to be so active?

It all boils down to El Nino.

“Strong El Ninos and wind shear typically suppress development of Atlantic hurricanes,” a NOAA news release said. “So the prediction for weak conditions points to more hurricane activity this year.”

In April, meteorologists predicted a weak to moderate El Nino — which led Accuweather and Colorado State University to forecast a “slightly below average” Atlantic season.

But now NOAA says this year’s El Nino is looking weak or even non-existent.

There is, however, some good news.

NOAA is prepared.

The 2017 season will introduce new forecasting tools.

These tools include the new Hurricane Weather Research Forecast model, which combines two high-resolution models and can “improve intensity forecasts by as much as 10 percent and track forecasts by as much as seven percent,” NOAA reports.

This year will also mark the first season NOAA can issue storm surge watches and warnings, as well as issue watches, warnings and advisories before a disturbance turns into a tropical cyclone.

Tools that allow citizens to see how far out of the hurricane cone damaging winds extend and when these winds are expected to arrive will also be put to use this year.

NOAA is expected to update their hurricane season outlook in early August.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 4:08 PM with the headline "Will this year’s hurricane season be as bad as 2016? NOAA says it could be.."