Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a scale classifying hurricanes by the intensity of their sustained winds, developed in 1969 by engineer Herbert Saffir[?] and National Hurricane Center director Bob Simpson[?]. Classifications are used to gauge the likely damage and flooding a hurricane will cause upon landfall.

The five classifications are, in order of increasing intensity:

• Category 1: sustained winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt; 119-153 km/hr)
• Category 2: sustained winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt; 154-177 km/hr)
• Category 3: sustained winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt; 178-209 km/hr)
• Category 4: sustained winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt; 210-249 km/hr)
• Category 5: sustained winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt; 249 km/hr)

External Links

• [1] (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml) - Descriptions from the National Hurricane Center of the likely damage and flooding caused by each category of hurricane