As if we needed more bad weather, now comes word that forecasters are predicting the Atlantic hurricane season, which began Wednesday, will be more active than normal, with a high degree of probability that several powerful, destructive storms could slam into the East Coast.

After devoting much of last winter to shoveling driveways and this spring to pumping basements, the thought of spending the summer and fall boarding windows and battening hatches is almost too much even for us hardy New Englanders to bear.

Yet that's what we may be in for, according to independent forecasts by the National Hurricane Center, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Colorado State University - all of which warn this season could bring as many as 18 named storms and six to 10 hurricanes, including up to five "major" blasts of Category 3 or stronger.

More troubling, forecasters predict an "above-average probability of United States and Caribbean major hurricane landfall" until the season ends Nov. 30. No major hurricanes have struck U.S. shores in five years.

Coastal communities in our region all have extensive hurricane-preparedness procedures, and we encourage officials to rehearse them frequently and keep the programs up do date. At the same time individuals can help by storing canned food, bottled water, flashlights, batteries, first-aid kits and other emergency supplies.

Above all, residents need to heed warnings and evacuate if and when authorities issue them.

One sign of changing times: The Federal Emergency Management Agency also wants residents to make social media part of their disaster plans now that FEMA posts on Twitter and the National Hurricane Center has a Facebook page.

That's certainly an improvement over the Hurricane of 1938, which plowed into the Northeast with little warning, killing as many as 800 people and damaging or destroying more than 50,000 properties.

Even with such warnings, nothing we can do will stop Mother Nature from acting up, as she periodically does. And if we can't save our homes and businesses, at least we should be able to save ourselves.

Forewarned is forearmed.