A New Threat: Surprise Hurricanes

Hurricane Otis, which killed more than two dozen people in southern Mexico this week, exemplified a phenomenon that meteorologists fear will become more and more common: a severe hurricane that arrives with little warning or time to prepare.

Judson Jones, who covers natural disasters for The Times, explains why Hurricane Otis packed such an unexpected punch.

Guest: Judson Jones, who covers natural disasters and Earth’s changing climate for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• On Tuesday morning, few meteorologists were talking about Otis. By Wednesday morning, the “catastrophic storm” had left a trail of destruction in Mexico and drawn attention from around the globe. What happened?
• The hurricane, one of the more powerful Category 5 storms to batter the region, created what one expert called a “nightmare scenario” for a popular tourist coastline.

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