Hurricane Classification: EnchantedLearning.com

Advertisement.

EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site.
As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages.
Click here to learn more.

Join Enchanted Learning Site subscriptions last 12 months. Click here for more information on site membership. As low as $20.00/year (directly by Credit Card)
Site members have access to the entire website with print-friendly pages and no ads.

(Already a member? Click here.)

Hurricane Activities

EnchantedLearning.com
Hurricane

Weather Theme Page for K-3

Introduction to Hurricanes

How Hurricanes Form

Naming Hurricanes

Hurricane Structure

Hurricane Classification

Tracking Hurricanes

Preparing for a Hurricane

Landfall, Storm Surges

Hurricane Activities

Hurricane Glossary

Hurricane Classification and Extremes

Hurricanes are classified into five categories based on current maximum wind speed. This rating scale is called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, named for Herb Saffir and Robert Simpson, who developed it.

Category 1 -- Winds 74-95 mph
Category 2 -- Winds 96-110 mph
Category 3 -- Winds 111-130 mph
Category 4 -- Winds 131-155 mph
Category 5 -- Winds over 155 mph (these are VERY rare)

Fortunately, there are very few Category 5 storms; most storms that achieve Category 5 status only hit Category 5 status for a very short time, then the winds subside to a less powerful level. Some of the strongest recent hurricanes (Atlantic Ocean tropical cyclones) that hit Category 5 status include:

Hurricane Felix (September 2007) -- Caribbean
Hurricane Dean (August 2007) -- Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Caribbean
Hurricane Wilma (October 2005) -- Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Cuba, and Southern Florida
Hurricane Rita (September 2005) -- hit Texas, Louisiana
Hurricane Katrina (August 2005) -- hit southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama
Hurricane Isabel (September 2003) -- hit North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Hurricane Mitch (October 1998) -- hit Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala
Hurricane Andrew (August 1992)-- hit southeastern Florida and southeastern Louisiana
Hurricane Gilbert (September 1988) -- hit Jamaica, Mexico
Hurricane Edith (1971) -- hit Nicaragua
Hurricane Camille (August 1969) -- hit Mississippi, SE Louisiana, and Virginia
Hurricane Janet (1955) -- hit Mexico, the Caribbean
"New England" Hurricane (September 1938) -- hit New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts (perhaps a Category 5 hurricane).
"Labor Day" Hurricane (September 1935) -- hit the Florida Keys.

Links:
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale from the National Hurricane Center.
Most Intense US Hurricanes from the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricanes

Introduction to Hurricanes How Hurricanes Form Naming Hurricanes Hurricane Structure Hurricane Classification Tracking Hurricanes Preparing for a Hurricane Landfall, Storm Surges Hurricane Activities Hurricane Glossary

Enchanted Learning^®
Over 20,000 Web Pages.
Sample Pages for Prospective Subscribers

Overview of Site
What's New
Enchanted Learning Home
Monthly Activity Calendar
Books to Print
Site Index

K-3
Crafts
K-3 Themes
Little Explorers
Picture dictionary
PreK/K Activities
Rebus Rhymes
Stories

Writing
Cloze Activities
Essay Topics
Newspaper
Writing Activities
Parts of Speech

Fiction
The Test of Time

Biology
Animal Printouts
Biology Label Printouts
Biomes
Birds
Butterflies
Dinosaurs
Food Chain
Human Anatomy
Mammals
Plants
Rainforests
Sharks
Whales

Physical Sciences
Astronomy
The Earth
Geology
Hurricane
Landforms
Oceans
Tsunami
Volcano

Languages
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Japanese (Romaji)
Portuguese
Spanish
Swedish

Geography/History
Explorers
Flags
Geography
Inventors
US History

Other Topics
Art and Artists
Calendars
Crafts
Graphic Organizers
Label Me! Printouts
Math
Music

Click to read our Privacy Policy

E-mail

Enchanted Learning Search

Search the Enchanted Learning website for:

Advertisement.

Advertisement.