Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, was a wake-up call for anyone who doubted the increasing power of hurricanes. Heavy winds, rain and especially a colossal storm surge resulted in 1,833 deaths. This 3D Image from NASA is based on GOES satellite data

Hurricanes Grow Stronger in New Era of Superstorms

Rapid intensification, higher wind speeds and heavier rains are fueled by warmer seas. And it’s going to get worse.

This article was updated Sept. 28 at 3:45 p.m. ET.

Hurricane Helene’s rapid intensification this week and its ultimate power of destruction through record storm surges, high winds and an utter deluge hundreds of miles inland are all reflections of the changing climate, and strong signs of worse superstorms to come.

Helene became a hurricane on Wednesday, Sept. 25. By Thursday night—roughly 36 hours later—it had intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm with top sustained winds of 140 mph, before slamming into Florida’s Big Bend coast. “Helene is the 9th strongest hurricane since 1900 to make landfall in Florida based on minimum sea level pressure,” said longtime hurricane forecaster Philip Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University. And it’s “the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend of Florida” since modern record-keeping began in 1851, he said.

Helene created record storm surges along the Florida coast, leveling some towns, and generated hurricane-force winds nearly as far north as Atlanta. After picking up tremendous amounts of moisture from…