Death Toll From Hurricanes Felix and Henriette Rises

At least 100 people have died in Central America after two powerful hurricanes hit opposite sides of the land within hours of each other. Hurricane Felix, which struck Nicaragua from the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 5 monster, is now being blamed for at least 98 deaths, according to various press accounts.

A day later, Hurricane Henriette, a much weaker storm, struck Mexico's Pacific coast, leaving at least two dead. The extraordinary coincidence of the two hurricanes is one of several records the 2007 hurricane season has brought. Felix was one of two Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall, having followed just two weeks after Hurricane Dean struck the Yucatan Peninsula -- a first. And storm watchers are watching the worldwide trend in strong storms, with 11 Category 4 or 5 storms having struck around the world this year already.

There's a ripe scientific debate about whether global warming is fueling, or will fuel, stronger or more frequent hurricanes. If the trend toward stronger hurricanes continues, it will bolster the arguments of those who link warmer ocean water with increased intensity of hurricanes.

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