The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was developed in 1971 and unveiled to the public in 1973. Here’s a look at the system that ranks tropical cyclones by their potential destructive power ...

The scale has been in use for decades and gives an idea about what kind of wind damage a hurricane can produce, but it says nothing about impacts from storm surge, flooding rain and tornadoes.

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 ...

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 ...

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 Category 5 — with sustained winds in excess of 155 mph.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was developed in 1971 and unveiled to the public in 1973.