NationMaster - Encyclopedia: 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 civil 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 Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is used only to describe hurricanes forming in the Atlantic and northeast Pacific Oceans. Other areas use their own classification schemes.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology uses a 1-5 scale called tropical cyclone severity categories. Unlike the Saffir-Simpson Scale, severity categories are based on strongest wind gusts and not sustained winds. Severity categories are scaled somewhat lower than the Saffir-Simpson Scale, with a severity category 2 tropical cyclone being roughly equivalent to a Saffir-Simpson category 1 hurricane.

The initial scale was developed by Saffir while on commission from the United Nations to study low-cost housing in hurricane-prone areas. While performing the study, Saffir realized there was no simple scale for describing the likely effects of a hurricane. Knowing the utility of the Richter magnitude scale in describing earthquakes, he devised a 1–5 scale based on wind speed that showed expected damage to structures. Saffir gave the scale to the NHC, and Simpson added in the effects of storm surge and flooding.

The five categories are, in order of increasing intensity:

Category 1	Sustained winds	33–42 m/s	74–95 mph	64–82 kt	119–153 km/h
	Storm surge	4–5 ft		1.2–1.5 m
	Central pressure	28.94 inHg		980 mbar
	Potential damage	No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Also, some coastal flooding and minor pier damage.
	Example storms	Hurricane Agnes – Hurricane Gaston
Category 2	Sustained winds	43–49 m/s	96–110 mph	83–95 kt	154–177 km/h
	Storm surge	6–8 ft		1.8–2.4 m
	Central Pressure	28.50–28.91 inHg		965–979 mbar
	Potential damage	Some roofing material, door, and window damage. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, etc. Flooding damages piers and small craft in unprotected moorings may break their moorings.
	Example storms	Hurricane Dora – Hurricane Juan – Hurricane Georges – Hurricane Frances
Category 3	Sustained winds	50–58 m/s	111–130 mph	96–113 kt	178–209 km/h
	Storm surge	9–12 ft		2.7–3.7 m
	Central pressure	27.91–28.47 inHg		945–964 mbar
	Potential damage	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 may be flooded well inland.
	Example storms	Hurricane Fran – Hurricane Isidore – Hurricane Jeanne
Category 4	Sustained winds	59–69 m/s	131–155 mph	114–135 kt	210–249 km/h
	Storm surge	13–18 ft		4.0–5.5 m
	Central pressure	27.17–27.88 inHg		920–944 mbar
	Potential damage	More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach areas. Terrain may be flooded well inland.
	Example storms	Galveston Hurricane of 1900 – Hurricane Hugo – Hurricane Iris – Hurricane Charley
Category 5	Sustained winds	≥70 m/s	≥156 mph	≥136 kt	≥250 km/h
	Storm surge	≥19 ft		≥5.5 m
	Central pressure	<27.17 inHg		<920 mbar
	Potential damage	Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Flooding causes major damage to lower floors of all structures near the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas may be required.
	Example storms	Hurricane Camille – Hurricane Gilbert – Hurricane Andrew

All wind speeds are based on a one-minute average. Central pressure values are approximate. Intensity of example hurricanes is at time of landfall.

External links

Descriptions of the likely damage and flooding caused by each category of hurricane (http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml)
Interview with Herbert Saffir, contains description of the scale's history (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/sns-hc-saffirqanda.story)

Categories: Scales

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