For the last few years, I have opined about the inadequacy of the Saffir — Simpson scale for conveying the full impacts of hurricanes. Harvey (2017), Milton (2024) and Helene (2024) are examples of ...

Georgia Tech expert Zachary Handlos joins a growing conversation about whether the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale adequately reflects the full range of hurricane hazards in a changing climate.

When you hear terms like Category 1, Category 3 or even the rare Category 5 mentioned regarding hurricanes, what is being discussed is the classification system for hurricanes based on their winds.

The current hurricane classification does not consider storm surge and rainfall risks, which cause almost 80% of hurricane-related deaths. A new scale could help people better prepare for storms. When ...

Hurricane Erin reached Category 5 status with 160 mph winds on Saturday, August 16th. Erin is expected to continue intensifying. While researchers have proposed a Category 6 for hurricanes exceeding ...

The National Hurricane Center uses the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to categorize hurricanes. Hurricanes are assigned Category 1-5 depending on their wind speeds. We break down the potential ...

Storm surge and rainfall — not wind — cause the majority of hurricane deaths, yet are absent from the current warning system. Researchers developed and tested the Tropical Cyclone Severity Scale, ...