"Hurricane Michael left a historic trail of destruction in the Florida Panhandle, with residents of Mexico Beach describing apocalyptic conditions caused by the roaring storm, which made landfall just shy of Category 5.
With peak wind speeds of around 155 mph, Michael was the strongest storm to ever hit the region, according to NASA. Even more remarkable is the speed at which it grew to its enormous size. Michael ballooned from a tropical storm to an almost maximum-size hurricane in a matter of days.
Its extreme behavior has sparked discussions of how climate change could be shaping severe weather events. Research suggests that as oceans warm, the threat of major hurricanes could increase. Storms may intensify faster and grow larger than they did in the past. That means storms like Michael may happen more frequently."
Chelsea Harvey reports for ClimateWire October 12, 2018.
SEE ALSO:
"Here’s Why Hurricanes Are Rapidly Exploding In Strength" (Washington Post)
"Warm Gulf Waters Spawned Hurricane Michael's Intensity: Scientists" (Reuters)
"Hurricane Michael Is Latest Storm Fueled By 'Rapid Intensification'" (CNN)
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