ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The easiest and most straightforward way to measure a hurricane's strength is to use the Saffir-Simpson scale. Divided into five categories, the scale designates each hurricane ...

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 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 ...

Hurricane Melissa has exploded into a massive Category 5 storm, undergoing an impressive “extreme rapid intensification” this late in the Atlantic hurricane season with life-threatening winds of over ...

Hurricane Melissa is approaching Jamaica as a Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds. A recent study suggests global warming is fueling more intense and rapidly strengthening hurricanes. Scientists have ...

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, ...

A University of South Florida researcher and a team from the Netherlands are proposing a new way to measure hurricane severity. Jennifer Collins had been studying evacuation patterns when she saw ...