While only three hurricanes made landfall in the United States this year, rapidly intensifying hurricanes in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans charted near the top of record lists in 2023.
Each of the year’s major Atlantic hurricanes — Lee, Idalia and Franklin — underwent rapid intensification periods in recent months, with Lee intensifying by 86 mph in 24 hours, making it the third-highest rapid intensification in the Atlantic’s recorded history.
In October, Hurricane Otis intensified by 104 mph i