Related Items Learn how meteorologists forecast and track hurricanes. Everything you want to know about hurricanes can be found right here. Believe it or not, people fly into hurricanes to learn more about them. Read a Washington Post story about one man's journey into the eye of a hurricane. A Washington Post story outlined the tasks and mission of the NOAA's hurricane chasers. Go to Hurricane Introduction Go to Hurricane Center front page. Editor's Note: The information on this page was obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale The Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity category system was developed in the 1970s to calculate the destructive force of hurricanes. Since damage from hurricanes comes from a combination of factors, including wind, rain, floods, storm-surge height, and tornadoes, the Saffir-Simpson scale is used to gauge a hurricane based on all these factors. The chart below can be used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast with a hurricane. Category Definition Effects One Winds 74-95 mph No real damage to building structures. Damage primarly to unanchore mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage Two Winds 96-110 mph Some roofing material, door, and window damage to buildings. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings. Three Winds 111-130 mph Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 feet at sea level may be flooded inland 8 miles or more. Four Winds 131-155 mph More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof strucutre failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain continuously lower than 10 feet at sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas inland as far as 6 miles. Five Winds greater than 155 mph Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 feet at sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline.Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5 to 10 miles of the shoreline may be required.

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