ATLANTA — Categories are the key to understanding just how severe a hurricane actually is – something that’s essential with tracking a major storm.
What are the hurricane categories?
The Saffir-Simpson scale is how those categories work. In short, it places hurricanes in five classifications. The weakest of these includes hurricanes with winds as slow as 74 mph. Meanwhile, a Category 5 hurricane has winds over 156 miles per hour.
In addition to wind speeds, these storms can create different amounts of storm surge based on their category. The largest of them have a surge of over 18 feet.
Category 3 and up have the highest potential for storm-related damage and loss of life, with that category being considered “devastating” and the two above it being labeled “catastrophic.” The National Weather Service describes the five hurricane categories as such:
- Category 1: Winds are between 74-95 mph and will produce some damage
- Category 2: Winds are between 96-110 mph and can cause extensive damage
- Category 3: Winds are between 111-129 mph and "devastating" damage is likely
- Category 4: Winds are 130-156 mph and will cause "catastrophic" damage will happen
- Category 5: Winds are 157 mph or higher, and will similarly cause "catastrophic" damage
What category is Hurricane Helene?
Helene strengthened to a "dangerous" category 4 hurricane just after 6:30 p.m., Thursday. The warm water of the Gulf of Mexico will continue to fuel intensification leading up to landfall late Thursday near Apalachicola, along Florida's Big Bend region. In anticipation of the storm's impacts, Georgia's governor issued a State of Emergency to free up resources.
Hurricane Helene will be a major hurricane at landfall. The National Hurricane Center's official forecast had gone back and forth between a category 3 and category 4 strength at landfall, but whether a category 3 or category 4... the difference will be minimal. Devastating storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rain are expected along the Big Bend area regardless.
Hurricane Helene Tracker
Hurricane Helene barrels into the Big Bend of Florida early Thursday night. Devastating storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rain are expected along the Big Bend area. Because it is moving so rapidly, it will still be a hurricane by the time it makes it into southern Georgia. Helene will weaken as it moves northward through the state of Georgia.
Click here for the interactive radar tracking Helene.
MORE FROM THE 11ALIVE WEATHER IMPACT TEAM
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