TAMPA - In an update ahead of the start to the Atlantic hurricane season on June 1, government forecasters on Thursday said they now expect the season to be near normal or above normal.

There is a 60 to 70 percent chance of 12 to 16 named storms, six to nine hurricanes and two to five major hurricanes forming, the national Climate Prediction Center reported.

The center predicted a 65 percent probability of an above normal season and a 25 percent probability of a near normal season. "This means there is a 90 percent chance of a near or above normal season," the center stated.

An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes for which two reach major status.

The experts didn't predict whether, where or when any of these storms might hit land, and officials stressed that coastal residents should always be prepared.

“Americans in hurricane-prone states must get serious and be prepared," FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison said in a statement. "Government — even with the federal, tribal, state and local governments working perfectly in sync — is not the entire answer. Everyone is part of the emergency management process.

"We must continue to develop a culture of preparedness in America in which every American takes personal responsibility for his or her own emergency preparedness,” he added.