Describe how hurricanes are classified

Question

What will be the ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER: In an effort to estimate the possible damage a hurricane’s sustained winds and storm surge could do to a coastal area, the Saffir-Simpson scale was developed. The scale numbers (which range from 1 to 5) are based on actual conditions at some time during the life of the storm. As the hurricane intensifies or weakens, the category, or scale number, is reassessed accordingly. Major hurricanes are classified as Category 3 and above. In the Northwest Pacific, a typhoon with sustained winds of at least 130 knots (150 mi/hr)—at the upper end of the wind speed range in Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale—is designated a super typhoon by the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The original Saffir-Simpson scale used a hurricane’s central pressure as a measure of the storm’s wind strength. The modified Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale does not use central pressure, as maximum winds today are accurately determined by modern observing techniques and are more directly relevant to a storm’s impact. Also removed from the original scale is the storm surge, as it has become clear that other factors besides wind speed play a major role in determining storm surge. For example, if two hurricanes have the same wind speed, the larger one will normally produce a greater surge. Landscape features along the coast, as well as underwater topography, are also critical in determining how high the storm surge will be and how far it will extend inland.?