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Hurricane Strengths

CATEGORY	WIND SPEED	AVG. BARO- METRIC PRESSUE	STORM SURGE	GENERAL DESCRIPTION
1	74-95	28.94 & higher	4 to 5	No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage.
2	96-110	28.50 - 28.93	6 to 8	Some roofing material, door, and window damage to buildings. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings.
3	111-130	27.91 to 28.49	9 to 12	Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 feet above sea level may be flooded inland 8 miles or more. Some water contamination may be present in stronger storms.
4	131-155	27.17 to 27.90	13 to 18	More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain continuously lower than 10 feet above sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas inland as far as 6 miles.
5	156+	27.16 or less	18+	Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 feet above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5 to 10 miles of the shoreline may be required.

Barometric pressure and storm surge are what can be expected on average. The wind speed is the sole determining factor on the category of the storm. Storm surge is shown in feet. Wind speed in miles per hour.

STORM NAMES

In 1953, The National Hurricane Center began naming storms, rather than relying on the old system of map coordinates and dates for identification such as the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. There are names for both Atlantic and Pacific storms. If a storm crosses from one ocean into the other, it is given a new name -- and this has, indeed, happened. (Other parts of the world also have names for Hurricanes, sometimes also called Cyclones or Typhoons, but the rules may differ.)

Until 1979, all storms were named for women, after which men's and women's names were alternated in each given year. Of the 26 letters, only 21 are used -- Q, U, X, Y, and Z are omitted. The names are English, French, or Spanish in origin and are picked to be easy to pronounce in all three languages.

An international committee of the World Meteorological Organization now creates and maintains the annual lists. Names are used on a six-year rotation, meaning the 2000 list will come up again in 2006. Names of especially damaging and deadly storms are retired (Andrew, David, Frances, Katrina, Camile, Floyd, Betsy, Hugo, Katrina, and Wilma are among the infamous storm names retired. NOAA maintains a complete list of retired names.)

For the first time in 2005, all names were used up for the Atlantic storms, so then the Greek alphabet is be used. So after the "W" storm, the next one is named Alpha, then Beta, etcetera according to the chart. Other regions use differing methods including using names from the following year's storms.

You can read all the technical details at the special NOAA site about naming storms all over the world.

Ask about the ReadyAmerica® Emergency-Kit for your home which includes food, water, light-stick, poncho, gloves, whistle, survival blanket, dust mask, first-aid kit, and more. Available in one, two, and four person models.

FEMA's  MASON-DIXON POLL

Only 52% of people surveyed passed this test, can you? It looks easy but the correct answers could mean your survival.

QUESTION 1: The biggest potential threat to human life from a land-falling hurricane is:
A - Wind
B - Tornadoes
C - Storm Surge
D - Inland flooding

QUESTION 2: The structural component that most often fails during hurricane force winds is:
A - Garage door
B - A windward-facing wall
C - Roof
D - Windows

QUESTION 3: During an approaching major hurricane, low-lying escape routes are usually cut off:
A - At landfall
B - Near the eye of the storm
C - 30 minutes to one hour before landfall
D - At least three hours before landfall and much earlier than that in vulnerable areas

QUESTION 4: For those ordered to evacuate, the best option is to:
A - Travel as far inland as possible as fast as possible
B - Choose a route at right angles to the projected path of the storm
C - Drive immediately to the nearest designated shelter
D - Arrange in advance to stay with a nearby friend whose home is outside the evacuation zone

QUESTION 5: Preparations to prevent serious property damage during a hurricane can be accomplished:
A - Within the time provided by a Hurricane Watch
B - Within the time provided by a Hurricane Warning
C - In most cases, only with weeks of planning, inspection and retrofitting

QUESTION 6: One item your Disaster Preparation Kit should not contain is:
A - Cash
B - Candles
C - Keys
D - Important documents

QUESTION 7: Hurricane forecasting experts generally agree that:
A - The active 2004 Hurricane Season was a fluke that will not be repeated anytime soon
B - We have entered an era of declining hurricane activity
C - Hurricane activity has remained fairly consistent for more than a century
D - We have entered an era of increasing hurricane activity

QUESTION 8: Geographically, the majority of hurricane fatalities from drowning in the past 33 years have occurred:
A - On the open water
B - Within two miles of the coast
C - In inland counties
D - In coastal counties

QUESTION 9: As of 2005, of the 10 most costly catastrophes in the United States, how of them many were Hurricanes or Tropical Storms?
A - One
B - Three
C - Five
D - Eight

QUESTION 10: If you are not ordered to evacuate, the safest place in a home to ride out a hurricane is:
A - Inside your car in the garage
B - The exterior room farthest away from the direction of the strongest wind
C - The most interior room of the house
D - The basement

QUESTION 11: What type of hazard during a hurricane does standard homeowners insurance not cover?
A - Lightning
B - Flooding
C - Wind
D - Falling trees

QUESTION 12: Most tornadoes associated with land-falling hurricanes are spawned:
A - In rain bands that can occur hundreds of miles from the eye of the storm
B - In the eye wall
C - Within 1 mile of the eye of the storm
D - Within 3 miles of the eye of the storm

QUESTION 13: Although forecasting has improved greatly in recent years, the projection you can rely least on is:
A - Direction of the storm
B - Intensity at landfall
C - Duration of the storm
D - Forward speed

QUESTION 14: A hurricane watch means:
A - Hurricane season has begun
B - A hurricane has formed over open water
C - A hurricane may strike somewhere in the United States within a few days
D - Hurricane conditions are possible in your area within 36 hours

QUESTION 15: A hurricane warning means:
A - A hurricane has formed over open water
B - A hurricane may strike somewhere in the United States within a few days
C - A hurricane may strike your area within 36 hours
D - Hurricane conditions are expected in your area within 24 hours

QUESTION 16: Where should you take your pets if you must evacuate?
A - To a safe location that has agreed or been designated to accept pets during a storm
B - To the shelter where you will be staying
C - To the local animal shelter
D - To your veterinarian's office
E - Leave them in your home with a 3-day supply of food and water.

QUESTION 17: True or False? Masking tape will help prevent windows from shattering.

QUESTION18: True or False? Some insurance companies offer significant discounts on home insurance for hurricane-proofing your home.

QUESTION 19: True or False? Candles are a good source of lighting the event of a power failure.

QUESTION 20: True or False? Opening a window on the sheltered side of house lessens the potential for wind damage.

1=C, 2=A, 3=D, 4=D, 5=C, 6= B, 7=D, 8=C, 9=D, 10=C, 11=B, 
12=A, 13=B, 14=D, 15=D, 16=A, 17=F, 18=T, 19=F, 20=F