Final answer:
The Saffir-Simpson scale categorizes hurricanes based on sustained wind speeds, with categories ranging from 1 to 5, where 5 indicates the most intense and potentially devastating hurricanes. Hurricanes strengthen over warm ocean waters and are classified as hurricanes when winds reach 74 mph or higher. The destruction potential of a hurricane sharply increases with the cube of wind velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Saffir-Simpson scale is a hurricane intensity measurement system that classifies hurricanes into five categories based on their sustained wind speeds. This scale ranges from Category 1, being the least intense with winds between 74-95 mph (miles per hour), to Category 5, the most intense with winds exceeding 156 mph. The scale helps to assess potential property damage and flooding, with a Category 5 hurricane causing catastrophic damage to buildings, trees, and power lines, and posing serious threat to human life.
Hurricanes derive their energy from warm ocean waters, typically greater than 80 °F. A system begins as a tropical depression with winds between 25 and 38 mph, and then becomes a tropical storm when winds reach 39 to 73 mph. Once a storm's wind speeds surpass 74 mph, it is designated as a hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
A key point to understanding the destruction caused by hurricanes is realizing that the power of hurricane-force winds increases as the cube of the wind velocity. Therefore, a hurricane with a wind speed of 50 m/s would be significantly more powerful compared to a light breeze of 5 m/s. Figure 14.1 illustrates how forecasting models, like the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, leverage atmospheric data to predict hurricane paths and impacts.