Saffir-Simpson Scale
Also called: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, hurricane categories
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates hurricanes from Category 1 to Category 5 by maximum sustained wind speed. Category 1 starts at 74 mph and Category 5 at 157 mph, and Category 3 and higher are called major hurricanes. The scale measures wind only: it does not account for storm surge, rainfall flooding, or tornadoes.
Why It Matters
The category is the single number most people hear about a hurricane, and it is a wind rating, nothing more. A lower-category storm can still bring life-threatening storm surge and flooding rain, so the category is a starting point for understanding a storm, not a summary of its danger.
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
| Category | Sustained winds | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 74 to 95 mph | Very dangerous winds will produce some damage |
| 2 | 96 to 110 mph | Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage |
| 3 (major) | 111 to 129 mph | Devastating damage will occur |
| 4 (major) | 130 to 156 mph | Catastrophic damage will occur |
| 5 (major) | 157 mph or higher | Catastrophic damage will occur |
Sustained winds are a 1-minute average. Below Category 1, a tropical storm has winds of 39 to 73 mph and a tropical depression 38 mph or less.
Source: National Hurricane Center: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
What the Category Does Not Tell You
- Storm surge. The scale does not account for it, and surge depends on the storm's size, speed, and the shape of the coast as well as its wind.
- Rainfall and inland flooding. How much rain a storm drops is not part of the rating.
- Tornadoes, which hurricanes also produce.
- The size of the storm. The category is the peak wind, not how far the strong winds extend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What category is a major hurricane?
Category 3 and higher, which means sustained winds of 111 mph or more.
What wind speed is a Category 5 hurricane?
157 mph or higher, sustained. Category 5 is the top of the scale and has no upper limit, so there is no Category 6.
Does the category tell you how bad the flooding will be?
No. The Saffir-Simpson scale is based only on maximum sustained wind speed. It does not account for storm surge, rainfall flooding, or tornadoes.
Related Terms
Hurricane
A tropical cyclone with maximum one-minute sustained surface winds of 74 mph or greater in the Atlantic or eastern and central North Pacific. Hurricanes are categorized 1-5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, with Category 5 beginning at 157 mph.
Storm Surge
Storm surge is an abnormal rise in sea level during a hurricane or other intense storm, measured as the height of the water above the normal predicted tide. It is produced mainly by the storm's winds pushing water toward the shore. Storm surge is the leading cause of deaths from hurricanes.
Tropical Storm
A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds between 39-73 mph. At this stage, the storm receives a name. Tropical storms can produce dangerous flooding, winds, and tornadoes even without reaching hurricane strength.
Tropical Depression
An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 mph or less. Tropical depressions can strengthen into tropical storms and eventually hurricanes.
Eye Wall
The ring of intense thunderstorms surrounding a hurricane's eye, containing the storm's strongest winds and heaviest rainfall. Eye wall replacement cycles can temporarily weaken a hurricane before it potentially re-intensifies.
Post-Tropical Cyclone
A post-tropical cyclone is a former tropical cyclone that no longer has enough tropical characteristics to be classified as one. It can still bring heavy rain and strong winds. The two kinds are extratropical cyclones, which draw their energy from temperature contrasts between air masses, and remnant lows, which have winds below 34 knots (39 mph).
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale rates tornadoes from EF0 to EF5 based on the damage they cause. Surveyors compare the damage to 28 kinds of buildings, structures, and trees against expected levels of damage, then estimate the 3-second wind gust responsible. EF0 means estimated gusts of 65 to 85 mph, and EF5 means over 200 mph.
Saffir-Simpson Scale: Guides and Explainers
These explainers connect this definition to real-world forecasting and decision-making.
In-depth guide
Hurricane Categories Explained: Understanding the Saffir-Simpson Scale
Learn what hurricane categories 1-5 mean, how the Saffir-Simpson wind scale works, and what to expect from each hurricane category.
Weather Education
What Is Storm Surge? Surge vs Storm Tide, and Why Category Doesn't Predict It
Storm surge explained: how surge, storm tide, and inundation differ, what decides how high the water gets, why a Category 2 can flood worse than a Category 4, and which NHC products to act on.
Weather Education
Typhoon vs Hurricane vs Cyclone: Same Storm, Three Names
A typhoon and a hurricane are the same kind of storm with the same 74 mph threshold. What changes is the ocean basin, the agency, and how the wind is measured. Here is the full naming map.
Helpful Tools and Hubs
Use these pages to apply the concept, compare conditions, or follow related weather workflows.
Tool
Wind Speed Converter
Convert between mph, km/h, knots, and m/s for wind reports and forecasts.
Seasonal Hub
Hurricane Season Guide
Track tropical risk, categories, and preparedness advice in one place.
Feature
Hurricane Tracker
Track cones, watches, warnings, and tropical systems from formation through landfall.
Glossary
Tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground, extending from a thunderstorm.
Sources
Explore Other Terms
Red Flag Warning
A Red Flag Warning is a National Weather Service alert that weather conditions could cause extreme fire behavior. It is issued when those conditions are occurring or expected within 24 hours. Typical criteria combine dry fuels with sustained winds of 15 mph or more and relative humidity of 25% or less, and exact thresholds vary by state and local office.
El Niño and La Niña
El Niño and La Niña are the warm and cool phases of a recurring climate pattern in the tropical Pacific called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). During El Niño, the trade winds weaken and the central and eastern tropical Pacific runs warmer than average. During La Niña, the trade winds strengthen and the same waters run cooler. Both shift weather patterns worldwide.
Kp Index
The Kp index is a 0 to 9 scale of global geomagnetic activity, reported in 3-hour intervals from ground-based magnetometers. A Kp of 5 or higher indicates a geomagnetic storm, and the values map onto NOAA's G-scale from G1 (Kp 5) to G5 (Kp 9). The higher the Kp, the farther from the poles the aurora can be seen.
Epicenter
The point on Earth's surface directly above where a fault rupture begins. It is a single map location, not the whole earthquake: a large event can break hundreds of kilometers of fault, so severe shaking often extends far beyond the epicenter.
Derecho
A derecho is a widespread, long-lived windstorm produced by a fast-moving line or cluster of severe thunderstorms. Under the criteria the Storm Prediction Center uses, the swath of wind damage must be at least 250 miles (about 400 km) long, with gusts of at least 58 mph along its length and several well-separated gusts of 75 mph or greater.
Snow Squall
An intense, short-lived burst of heavy snow accompanied by strong winds and often causing a sudden drop in visibility to near zero. Snow squalls can create extremely dangerous driving conditions despite lasting only 30-60 minutes.
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In the WeatherAI App
WeatherAI's Tropical Weather Hub shows NHC-tracked storms with forecast tracks, cones, watches and warnings, and wind-speed probabilities. Optional Tropical Storm News notifications cover new named storms and each category climb.
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