What are the category ratings for hurricanes?
| Category | Sustained Winds |
|---|---|
| 1 | 74-95 mph 64-82 kt 119-153 km/h |
| 2 | 96-110 mph 83-95 kt 154-177 km/h |
| 3 (major) | 111-129 mph 96-112 kt 178-208 km/h |
| 4 (major) | 130-156 mph 113-136 kt 209-251 km/h |
What are the 7 categories of hurricanes?
How hurricanes are categorized
- Category 1: Winds of 74-95 mph (119-153 km/h)
- Category 2: Winds of 96-110 mph (154-177 km/h)
- Category 3: Winds of 111-129 mph (178-208 km/h)
- Category 4: Winds of 130-156 mph (209-251 km/h)
- Category 5: Winds exceeding 157 mph (252 km/h)
What are the 5 categories of a hurricane?
Hurricane Categories
- Category One: Winds 74 to 95 miles per hour (mph).
- Category Two: Winds 96 to 110 mph.
- Category Three: Winds 111 to 130 mph.
- Category Four: Winds 131 to 155 mph.
- Category Five: Winds greater than 155 mph.
How do you categorize a hurricane?
Hurricanes are categorized on a scale of one through five using the Saffir-Simpson scale, which is based on sustained wind speed:
- Category 1: 74-95 mph.
- Category 2: 96-110 mph.
- Category 3: 111-129 mph.
- Category 4: 130-156 mph.
- Category 5: 157+ mph.
How are hurricanes measured and put into categories?
The intensity of a hurricane is measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This rates the storms from one to five based on sustained wind speed and the potential property damage those winds can cause. The intensity of a hurricane is measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
What’s a Category 4 hurricane?
On the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a Category 4 hurricane has winds of 130 mph to 156 mph. Category 4 winds will cause catastrophic damage, hurricane forecasters said, such as: – Well-built homes can sustain severe damage with the loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls.
What’s the highest category for a hurricane?
Category 5
To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have one-minute-average maximum sustained winds at 10 m above the surface of at least 74 mph (Category 1). The highest classification in the scale, Category 5, consists of storms with sustained winds of at least 157 mph.
What’s a Category 3 hurricane?
Category Three Hurricane. Winds 111-129 mph (96-112 kt or 178-208 km/hr). Devastating damage will occur: Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads.
What is the category 1 hurricane?
A storm is categorized as a tropical storm if its winds are between 39 and 72 mph. A tropical storm is upgraded to a category 1 hurricane once its winds reach 74 mph. The maximum winds for a category 1 hurricane is 95 mph. After a storm reaches 95 mph it would be upgraded to a category 2 hurricane.
How are hurricanes measured what does the scale mean?
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane’s sustained wind speed. This scale estimates potential property damage. Hurricanes reaching Category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage.
Has a Category 5 hurricane ever hit the US?
Hurricane Camille, 1969 17 it made landfall as a Category 5 storm along the Mississippi coast. The NHC says the exact wind speed of Camille may never be known since it destroyed all the wind-recording instruments in the area where it made landfall.