WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hurricane season is officially here, though the first tropical depression formed Thursday and has since dissipated.

National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read says it's time for people to review their emergency plans, or make them if they don't have one.

President Barack Obama last week urged residents of hurricane-prone communities to take responsibility for their own safety and start planning now.

Forecasters are predicting a normal hurricane season, with four to seven hurricanes of which one to three are likely to be major storms.

Meantime, many homeowners are finding insurance is either more expensive, or harder to get. And more are being dropped completely by their carriers as insurers try to limit their exposure.