Data: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Note: Category 5 intensity begins at 157 mph; Chart: Madison Dong/Axios Visuals
Hurricane forecasters' worst nightmare came true on Wednesday morning, when what had been a Category 3 storm Tuesday night suddenly jumped almost to Category 5.
Why it matters: It used to be rare for storms to keep strengthening until landfall, let alone do so rapidly. Now it is not — and studies show this is a dangerous sign of climate change.
