Know Your Hurricane Categories

8/16/2022 (Permalink)

Call us at 802-375-1500

The best way to prepare for any sort of natural disaster is to educate yourself and understand them! Hurricanes are no different, when you are sitting at home  watching television and you see reports that a hurricane is coming you likely think, how bad is this storm and what do I need to do to protect myself and my family?

                One of the most common tools used to decipher and understand hurricanes is called the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. This scale categorizes hurricanes based off their wind speeds primarily. There are 5 categories on this scale. Hurricanes reaching a category 3 or higher are major hurricanes with life threatening and significant potential for extreme damage.

                Category 1 hurricanes have wind speeds between 74-95mph. This level of a storm will likely cause minimal damage to your home. This speed of wind however can still lead to some damages and loss of power.

                Category 2 hurricanes have wind speeds between 96-110mph. Winds of this speed can cause an increase in damage to your home and property. Several trees may be down, roads can be shut down, and power outages will most definitely occur.

                Category 3 hurricanes have wind speeds between 111-129mph. Significant damage will be done to most homes such some roof damage. Power outages will occur lasting several days typically with this high level of a storm.

                Category 4 hurricanes have wind speeds between 130-156mph. Storms of this category are very deadly and destructive. Significant damage that is sometimes irreparable will be done to your home and property.

                Category 5 hurricanes have winds that are greater than 157mph. This is the highest category of a storm on this scale. A storm of this caliber is highly destructive leaving buildings, homes, and even entire residential areas uninhabitable for weeks or even months.

                We here at SERVPRO can help you prepare for any storms that lay ahead by completing an Emergency Ready Profile (ERP). Please call us if you have any questions we are always here to help. We can be reached at 802-375-1500.