When Hurricane Melissa roared ashore in Jamaica on Oct. 28, it brought 185-mph sustained winds and tied the record for the strongest Atlantic storm to make landfall.

Two factors are contributing to Melissa’s catastrophic intensity, factors that are not unique to Caribbean waters and suggest that such superstorms are likely to become big problems for other cyclone-prone regions. Like South Carolina.

One factor is that the Caribbean Sea is warmer than it’s supposed to be, and has warmer waters at deeper levels than normal. That's the fuel for storms.

It causes rapid intensification — when a hurricane’s internal wind speed grows by at least 30 knots in a 24-hour period. That used to be very unusual. Not anymore.

Rising Waters Lab

The Post and Courier’s Rising Waters Lab focuses on impact

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