Categories of hurricanes are measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.This scale mainly takes the wind speed of the hurricane into account. It doesn’t measure any other factors that come with a hurricane.The least dangerous hurricane is category 1, and the most dangerous hurricane to date is of category 5. However, whether a hurricane is of a category 1 or 5, they all are still dangerous and can cause property damage, and can endanger the lives of humans, animals, and trees alike. Read on to know more about these categories of hurricanes.What are hurricane categories?Categories of hurricanes are deduced by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It gives a hurricane a rating between 1-5, depending only on its sustained wind speed. It should be noted that the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale does not take conditions that accompany hurricanes into account, like tornadoes, rainfall flooding, or storm surge.Category 1: A category 1 hurricane has a storm surge of around 4-5 ft (1.2-1.5 m) beyond the mean high tide. Even such a tropical storm can bring about a lot of damage. Examples of such major hurricanes of category 1 were Hurricane Dolly that hit southern Texas in 2008 and Hurricane Sandy that hit Jamaica and then America in 2012.Category 2: A category 2 hurricane has a storm surge of around 6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m) beyond the mean high tide. One such major hurricane of category 2 was Hurricane Frances which hit the west coast of Florida in 2004.Category 3: A category 3 hurricane has a storm surge of around 9-12 ft (2.7-3.6 m) beyond the mean high tide. Some of these major hurricanes of category 3 were Hurricane Wilma which made landfall on Florida coast in 2005, and Hurricane Katrina, which became category 3 when it hit Louisiana in the same year.Category 4: A category 4 hurricane has a storm surge of around 13-18 ft (4-5.5 m) beyond the mean high tide. Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas back in August 2017, and Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida in the same year. Both of these were deemed as category 4.Category 5: A category 5 hurricane has a storm surge of more than 19 ft (5.8 m) beyond the mean high tide. There have been very few hurricanes of category 5. Some of them were Hurricane Maria which hit Puerto Rico in 2017, Hurricane Andrew that hit Florida and Louisiana in 1992; and Hurricane Camille that hit Mississippi in 1969.Hurricane Categories DamageHurricanes starting from category 1 to category 5 can cause major to catastrophic damages to lives, property, and environment.Category 1: No major damage might happen to the property, but frame homes can suffer structural damage. Large tree branches and shallow-rooted trees will suffer. Power outages lasting for several days may occur owing to damages to power poles and power lines.Category 2: Frame homes can sustain roof damage and damage on the sides. Poorly rooted trees on shallow grounds may uproot, and near or total loss of power to power outages generally can last for many days or even weeks.Category 3: Removal of roof decking might occur to framed homes. Even industrial buildings and apartment buildings experience much damage. Many trees suffer severe damage, and water and electricity become unavailable for days or even weeks.Category 4: Commercial buildings and mobile homes suffer devastating damage. Exterior walls and roof structures of many framed homes sustain extensive damage. Most trees uproot, and a very high risk of devastating damage from flying debris is a possibility. Residential areas can become uninhabitable for weeks to months with total power loss.Category 5: Most framed and all mobile homes would suffer catastrophic damage or be completely destroyed. Trees, power lines, and power poles suffer total destruction, which leads to power outages that can last for over a week or even for months. Falling debris from the storm poses a risk of injuring many and causing extensive damage to a residential area, making it uninhabitable.Hurricane Categories SpeedsHurricane categories are entirely made based on the wind speeds of hurricanes. All hurricanes have extremely strong winds, but the difference in speeds differentiate hurricane categories.Air doesn’t move in a straight pattern; it deflects to the left side in the Southern Hemisphere and to the right side in the Northern Hemisphere resulting in curved paths. This is known as Coriolis effect. This effect doesn’t occur within 300 mi (483 km) of the equator, so hurricanes, typhoons, or tropical cyclones don’t occur there either. In other parts, hurricanes and tropical storms form when thunderstorms intensify, and the water and atmosphere around become warm till it generates increased energy, which in turn keeps the storms moving. If a warning of a hurricane is given out, then within 24 hours or less, the speed of at least 74 mph (119 kph) of sustained winds can be expected.Category 1 hurricanes have been noticed to sustain winds of 74-95 mph (119-153 kph). Category 2 hurricanes actually have wind speeds of 96-110 mph (154.5-177 kph). A category 3 hurricane essentially has a wind speed of 111-130 mph (178.6-209 kph). Category 4 hurricanes have wind speeds of around 131-155 mph (210.8-249.4 kph). Category 5 hurricanes have a wind speed that exceeds over 156 mph (251 kph). Going according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, there are no category 6 or category 7 hurricanes, and they have never happened. However, if proper calculations were made, a category 6 hurricane would have dangerous winds with a speed of 180-185 mph (289.7-297.7 kph). In comparison, a category 7 hurricane would have dangerous winds with a speed of at least 210-215 mph (338-346 kph).Storm Damage MitigationHurricane damages are mitigated in two ways. First is a path the government follows to prevent casualties and property damage. The other is the path you can follow on your own to be on the safer side.The first thing to know is a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning. Hurricane watches will be declared when the threat of possible conditions of a hurricane may arise at any time within the next 36 hours. In comparison, a hurricane warning will be declared when you can expect conditions of a certain hurricane to arise at any time within the next 24 hours.Once you hear the warning, you should start the process of taking precautions to be safe. These processes should include creating a survival kit for your family for emergencies with food, medicines, and more necessary things.On the basis of the location of your house and the severity of a hurricane, decide on whether you should evacuate or not. The government will also give evacuation warnings if necessary.Protect your home by strengthening the doors, windows, and roofs. Pick up anything left outside that can be taken away by the wind during the storm. Flying debris can cause threatening damages. Absolutely avoid going near the sea and stay indoors at all times.
Categories of hurricanes are measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
