(CNN) While most people run away from hurricanes, servicemen and servicewomen called Hurricane Hunters fly planes directly into the eye of these intense storms.

It may sound crazy, but they do it so we can have the most accurate, up-to-date information on hurricanes and know how to respond.

Hurricane season has officially begun. In the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, the season runs from June 1 to November 30 (it begins a little earlier in the eastern Pacific Ocean, on May 15).

According to NOAA , this year the Atlantic is expected to have a near-normal season with nine to 15 named storms -- four to eight that will become hurricanes, and two to four that could become major hurricanes. An average season has 12 named storms with six hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

A major hurricane is considered a Category 3 or higher, carrying sustained winds of 111 mph or higher.

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