A composite image shows Hurricane Lee churning towards the Caribbean after intensifying into a major storm, September 8, 2023. How powerful is Hurricane Lee? Lee is packing maximum sustained winds of 165 miles (265 km) per hour, making it a Category 5 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which is based on a storm's sustained wind speed. If Hurricane Lee makes landfall as a Category 5, it could cause catastrophic damage and destroy a high percentage of framed homes. Lee adds to a busy hurricane season that has thus far set a pace above average on several measures, including named storms, named storm days and major hurricane days, Colorado State University meteorologist Philip Klotzbach said.

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Persons: Lee, Handout, Philip Klotzbach, Brendan O'Brien, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Handout REUTERS, Simpson, National Weather Service, Northern, U.S . East, National Hurricane Center, Colorado State University, Thomson Locations: Caribbean, Northern Leeward, Leeward Islands, Virginia Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S . East Coast, Canada, Bermuda, Chicago