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Article Series: Hurricanes
Hurricane Facts, Tips and Safety Protocols
Saffir-Simpson
Scale: Hurricanes
Have you ever wondered who or what determines how a hurricane
is classified? When you hear the term Saffir-Simpson Scale
bandied around, do you ever question just who Saffir and
Simpson are? Here are some interesting facts about the
scale, and how their weighing in on hurricanes has affected
the way we see these storms today.
The
scale is actually the brainchild of Herbert Saffir and
Robert Simpson. Mr. Saffir is an American engineer and graduate
from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mr. Saffir became
involved in the study of storms as well as their categorization
in the year 1969 when a commission by the United Nations actually
requested information on the impact of storms on the housing
situation of low-income families. Mr. Simpson was at point
the director of the National Hurricane Center, and collaborated
with Mr. Saffir on the scale. It was Mr. Saffir who realized
that the ability to describe the aftermath of a hurricane,
as well as the possible ramifications of such a storm before
it even occurred was severely limited because there were no
standards in place.
The Saffir-Simpson Scale sought to rectify this situation.
It reads as follows:
If a storm is being observed that could be accurately classified
as a precursor to a hurricane, it would need to evidence winds
that move at a speed of 39 to 73 miles per hour. If this is
a case, then the storm would be classified as a tropical
storm.
If a tropical storm progresses to a category
one hurricane,
it evidences winds that show a speed of 74 to 95 miles per
hour. The damage that is most likely to accompany this kind
of storm is relatively mild to standard buildings, while mobile
homes may experience heavier damage. Some flooding will occur,
but it will most likely be only in the coastal areas.
Once
a storm reaches wind speeds of 96 to 110 miles per hour (category
two), the odds are fairly good that there will be structural
damage
to homes – yet only to unprotected doors and windows, as well
as incorrectly anchored roofs. Mobile homes and manufactured
homes may incur such heavy damage as to leave them uninhabitable,
and flooding is almost a certainty.
A category
three hurricane will have wind speeds of 111 to
130 miles per hour. Those who live in mobile or manufactured
homes will most likely return to find their homes destroyed.
Other dwellings will also incur some structural damage. You
will most likely see large trees blown over and perhaps even
moved across short distances. Inland flooding is a certainty,
and will add to the damage that the storm will cause to human
dwellings.
Wind speeds of 131 to 155 miles per hour indicate a category
four hurricane. This kind of hurricane will most likely partially
destroy even structurally sound buildings. The flooding that
will occur inland will be severe, and coastal areas will most
likely be wiped out. Heavy damage to trees and manmade structures
will add fuel to the howling winds, as they transport broken
off bits and pieces of structures and landscape items like
missiles through the air.
The last designation on the scale is the category
five hurricanes.
Its wind speeds begin at 156 miles per hour and the scale is
open ended. The damage that can be expected from this kind
of disaster is so extensive that governmental intervention
will be instrumental in returning the area into a habitable
state. Inland flooding and coastal wipe outs will be so severe,
that only those who have evacuated stand a good chance of survival,
while those who do not heed the evacuation orders will most
likely pay with their lives.
Emergencies and disasters can happen anytime, anywhere without warning. Protect yourself and your family. Click to see valuable emergency preparedness supplies and information. Be ready. Be prepared. I love this website. It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2007
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