A scale in which a hurricane's strength is determined by it's potential damage. The scale ranks from Category 1 (minimal damage, 74-95mph) to a Category 5 (Catastropic, 155mph). Unlike tornadoes, a hurricane's category fluctuates throughout its life cycle . For a landfalling hurricane, the landfalling category is finalized many months later in a report by the National Hurricane Center after inspections of damage.
Subject: The Earth A scale relating a hurricane's central pressure and winds to the possible damage it is capable of inflicting.[ Pics List
A rating scale used to classify the strength of hurricanes, by relating the central pressure of the hurricane to the amount of damage that it could produce.
a scale that measures the damage potential and intensity of a hurricane using a scale of 1 to 5
Developed by engineer Herbert Saffir and hurricane expert Dr. Robert Simpson, it is a 1 to 5 scale that relates measured storm characteristics (peak winds, lowest pressure, storm surge) to its damage potential.
A scale used to rank hurricanes. The scale goes from 1 to 5 based upon the intensity of the winds within the hurricane.
A scale, from 1 to 5, used to rank the relative intensities of hurricanes.
The Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity category system was developed to characterize the destructive potential of hurricanes. The Saffir-Simpson system sets the levels for hurricanes to five intensity categories. In addition to maximum sustained wind speed and central pressure, the Saffir-Simpson hurricane categorization includes storm-surge height and coastal destruction potential. More on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. View a QuickTime Animation describing the characteristics of the five hurricane chategories. (1.9M)
A scale relating a hurricane's central pressure and winds to the possible damage it is capable of inflicting. Categories range from 1 to 5. Category 1 is a weak hurricane with winds blowing 74 to 95 miles per hour. It is dangerous, but not necessarily deadly. Category 5 is a super-hurricane with winds in excess of 155 miles per hour. Severe damage to structures is likely along with severe flooding.
The scale used to give public safety officials an assessment of the potential wind and storm surge damage from a hurricane. Scale numbers are available to public safety officials when a hurricane is within 72 hours of landfall. Scale assessments are revised regularly as new observations are made. Public safety organizations are kept informed of new estimates of the hurricane's disaster potential. Scale numbers range from 1 to 5.