Understanding hurricane categories can be tricky.
We can expect storms declared in a higher category are more severe, but what does it actually mean?
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Here are Hurricane categories and wind scales explained:
Category 1 Hurricane: Winds 74-95 mph
- No real damage to building structures.
- Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery and trees.
- Some damage to poorly constructed signs.
Category 2 Hurricane: Winds 96-110 mph
- Some roofing material, door and window damage of buildings.
- Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees blown down.
- Considerable damage to mobile homes, poorly constructed signs and piers.
Category 3 Hurricane: Winds 111-129 mph
- Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures.
- Damage to shrubbery and trees, with foliage blown off trees and large trees blown down.
- Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed.
- Low-lying escape routes are cut off by rising water 3-5 hours before the arrival of the center of the hurricane.
- Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering from floating debris.
Category 4 Hurricane: Winds 130-156 mph
- More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences.
- Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down.
- Complete destruction of mobile homes.
- Extensive damage to doors and windows.
Category 5 Hurricane: Winds greater than 156 mph
- Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings.
- Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away.
- All shrubs, trees, and signs are blown down.
- Complete destruction of mobile homes.
- Severe and extensive window and door damage.