Weather and Climate | How Are Hurricanes Classified?
How are hurricanes classified?
Hurricanes are tropical cyclones with winds of 74 miles per hour or greater. They usually occur in the western Atlantic Ocean. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Damage-Potential scale is a tool for measuring the disaster potential of a hurricane's winds and its accompanying storm surge (the wall of water that rushes onshore as the eye of a hurricane passes overhead). The purpose of the scale is to help disaster agencies gauge the potential danger posed by these storms and to determine whether or not to evacuate coastal residents.
The scale, on which each hurricane is assigned a number 1 through 5, was developed in 1971. The creators of the scale are Herbert Saffir, the engineer who designed Miami's hurricane-proof building code, and Robert Simpson, former director of the National Hurricane Center.
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