The Five Categories
Category 1: 74–95 mph
Dangerous winds will produce some damage. Well-constructed homes may have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding, and gutters. Large tree branches snap. Power outages may last a few days.
Category 2: 96–110 mph
Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage. Well-constructed homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many trees uprooted, blocking roads. Power outages could last days to weeks.
Category 3: 111–129 mph — Major Hurricane
Devastating damage. Well-built homes may suffer major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees snapped or uprooted. Electricity and water unavailable for days to weeks after the storm.
Category 4: 130–156 mph — Major Hurricane
Catastrophic damage. Well-built homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof and exterior walls. Most trees snapped or uprooted. Power outages last weeks to months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
Category 5: 157+ mph — Major Hurricane
Catastrophic damage. A high percentage of homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months. This is the worst-case scenario.
Before the Hurricane: The Other Classifications
Not every tropical system is a hurricane. The NHC classifies storms by wind speed as they develop:
Tropical Depression
An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with sustained winds of 38 mph or less. Given a number, not a name. The earliest stage of a tropical cyclone.
Tropical Storm
Sustained winds of 39–73 mph. This is when the storm gets a name. Tropical storm warnings mean dangerous conditions are expected. Can still cause significant flooding and damage.
Hurricane
Sustained winds of 74 mph or greater. Categories 1–2 are "hurricanes." Categories 3–5 are "major hurricanes." All are dangerous.
Wind Isn't the Whole Story
The Saffir-Simpson scale only measures wind speed. But hurricanes kill in many ways:
Storm Surge
The #1 killer in hurricanes. A wall of ocean water pushed ashore by the storm. A Category 1 hurricane can produce 4–5 feet of surge. A Category 5 can push 20+ feet. Storm surge is not measured by the category — a slow-moving Cat 1 can produce more surge than a fast-moving Cat 3.
Inland Flooding
Hurricanes can dump 10–30+ inches of rain. Hurricane Harvey (2017) dropped over 60 inches on parts of Texas as a Category 4 that weakened to a tropical storm. Most hurricane deaths in recent decades have been from inland flooding, not wind.
Tornadoes
Hurricanes frequently spawn tornadoes, especially in the outer rain bands and the right-front quadrant of the storm. These are typically short-lived but can cause significant damage far from the hurricane's center.
Why the Scale Doesn't Include Rain or Surge
The Saffir-Simpson scale was originally developed in the early 1970s specifically to estimate wind damage to structures, and it has stayed narrowly focused on sustained wind speed ever since — on purpose. Rainfall and storm surge depend heavily on a storm's forward speed, size, and the shape of the coastline it hits, none of which correlate cleanly with wind category. A slow-moving Category 1 parked over a region for days can produce catastrophic freshwater flooding that a fast-moving Category 4 never would. That's why the National Hurricane Center issues separate, storm-specific storm surge and rainfall forecasts alongside the category, rather than folding them into a single number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a hurricane's category ever change?
Yes, continuously. The NHC re-assesses maximum sustained winds regularly as a storm develops, and its category can rise or fall multiple times over its lifespan as it strengthens, weakens, or interacts with land.
What happens to a hurricane after landfall?
It typically weakens as it loses access to the warm ocean water that fuels it, downgrading through tropical storm and eventually tropical depression status, though it can still produce dangerous flooding and tornadoes well inland during that process.
Are hurricane names reused?
Yes, names cycle on a six-year rotation, except for storms that caused significant death or damage — those names are permanently retired and replaced, which is why you'll never see another Hurricane Katrina or Harvey.
What's the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
They're the same storm type — a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 74+ mph. "Hurricane" is used in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific; "typhoon" is used in the Northwest Pacific; other regions use "cyclone."
Track Hurricanes on Your Phone
StormCast tracks active storms in the Atlantic and Pacific. You get push notifications when a storm forms, when it intensifies to a higher category, and when it comes within 500 miles of your location. The Hurricane Tracker shows real NHC forecast tracks, wind fields, and GOES satellite imagery.
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A note on this guide: This is general safety information, not medical or professional emergency advice, and specific criteria can vary by region. In an actual emergency, call 911 and follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service.