This scale – officially known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale – is a rating based on maximum sustained wind speed, which ranges from 74 to 157 mph, or higher.

Under AccuWeather’s scale, Florence would have been a “Real Impact Cat 4” at landfall, instead of a Cat 1 under the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Simpson assigned a range of wind speeds and storm surges for each category, and the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was born. The NHC released the scale to the public in 1973 and began ...

Five recent storms reached a hypothetical Category 6 wind intensity on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, according to a new study. The triangles denote which storms reached these intensities.

The scale gave them a much better handle on that," said Simpson, whose contribution was adding possible storm surge heights for each category. Saffir was born in New York in 1917.

How does the Saffir-Simpson scale work? The scale has five categories ranging from Category 1 — with winds from 74 mph to 95 mph to a Category 5 — with sustained winds in excess of 155 mph.

Simpson and Saffir worked together. Simpson assigned a range of wind speeds and storm surges for each category, and the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was born.

Simpson assigned a range of wind speeds and storm surges for each category, and the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was born. The NHC released the scale to the public in 1973 and began ...

Simpson assigned a range of wind speeds and storm surges for each category, and the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was born. The NHC released the scale to the public in 1973 and began ...