Facing the Fury: What you need to know about hurricane categories
Related Story
There are a few words you may meteorologists use this hurricane season.
A tropical wave is an area of low pressure with unorganized showers.
A tropical depression is where things begin to get better organized as winds on the ground reach up to 38 miles per hour.
A tropical storm is next in line, which has a counterclockwise rotation with wind speeds between 39 and 73 mph.
The next level is hurricanes, which impact us all a little different.
The wind speeds let us know what to categorize and are very specific. The damage caused in those categories is kind of predictable.
With a Category 1 storm, a couple of shingles fall off and the palm tree fronds will bend in the wind, but all is well.
As the wind increases we move into a Category 2 hurricane, right where you'll start to feel it. The windows could get hit by debris and cause significant damage, trees will begin to bend and siding from your home could begin to break off.
In a Category 3 hurricane, the front door can blow in and the roof can begin to clap up and down. Significant structural damage can be expected at this point.
Most trees will fall in a Category 4 hurricane. Windows on your home or business will break and most shingles will blow away.
You can expect big holes in the roof, uprooted trees, and catastrophic damage to your home in a Category 5 hurricane as winds reach an excess of 157 mph.
The wind is just one aspect of a hurricane that does not take into account, flooding, storm surge, tornadoes, power outages and other forms of impact.
News
