Climate models fail to accurately predict hurricane intensification because they mainly depend on sea surface temperatures and ocean heat content, overlooking the role of subsurface saltiness. Hurricanes intensify when they pull “superheated” subsurface water, which occurs largely due to the formation of barrier layers where freshwater overlays dense salty water. This phenomenon conflicts with the widespread narrative attributing hurricane intensification to rising CO2 levels. The impact of barrier layer dynamics in hurricane formation needs to be better acknowledged.