Saffir-Simpson Hurricane

What really is a hurricane, besides a deadly storm? A hurricane is a type storm called a tropical cyclone. This type of storm forms over tropical or subtropical waters. They are a rotating low-pressure weather system that has organized thunderstorms but no fronts. When the highest winds reach 74 mph, it is then considered a hurricane. A hurricane can be 5 to 6 miles high and up to 300 to 600 miles wide. Hurricanes are rated from 1-5 based on the highest sustained winds. The higher the category of the storm, the higher the property damage by the hurricane. Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and ends on November 30 but, this does not mean you cannot have on before or after these dates. This is just the most common time for the hurricanes. A

Each category is based on the wind speeds. A Category 1 contains wind speeds of 74-95 miles per hour. You could compare this category to faster than a cheetah. A Category 1 hurricane typically has minimal damage at landfall. Category 2 contains winds of 96-110 miles per hour which could be compared to as faster than a baseball pitchers fastball. Category 2 hurricanes usually have moderate damage at landfall. Category 3 consists of wind speeds of 111-129 miles per hour, which could be compared to the serving speed of a professional tennis player. When a Category 3 hurricane occurs usually the damage is pretty extensive. The 4th Category contains winds of 130-156 miles per hour, which is faster than the world’s fastest rollercoaster. Category 4 hurricanes are likely to produce extreme damage at landfall. Lastly, Category 5 consist of wind speeds higher that 157 miles per hour, this could be the speed of some high-speed trains. Sadly, hurricanes in a Category 5 have catastrophic damage at

It was the 3rd strongest hurricane recorded to make landfall in the United States. Hurricane Katrina peaked at a Category 5 hurricane with winds up to 175 mph. The death toll was around 1,836, most being from Louisiana and Mississippi. The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina was 20 feet high. About 80% of New Orleans was under water during Hurricane Katrina. They estimate there was $81 million dollars in property damages as a result of the hurricane in Louisiana and Mississippi, and over $150 billion dollars in the total economic impact. This was the most costly hurricane ever in U.S. history. One of the most recent hurricanes was Hurricane Matthew. Hurricane Matthew killed over 46 people in the United States, along with over 1,000 in Haiti. Hurricane Matthew started out as a Category 1 Hurricane in South Carolina, but eventually developed to a Category 5 when it reached the eastern Caribbean. Hurricane Matthew was the most powerful storm since 2007. As we can tell, Hurricanes are the most violent of storms on Earth. Often we may hear them referred to as cyclones or typhoons, just depending on where they are occurring. Hurricanes can range in Category, in damage and also in