Measuring Hurricanes

What is the saffir simpson scale?

Used to measure impact of a hurricane in 5 categories, with wind speed

Category 1 of saffir simpson?

119-153km/h Minimal - Unanchored mobile homes, vegetatiion, signs

Category 2 of saffir simpson?

154-177km/h Moderate - All mobile homes, roofs, small crafts, flooding

Category 3 of saffir simpson?

178 - 208 km/h Extensive - small buildings, low lying roads cut off

Category 4 of saffir simpson?

209-249 km/h Extreme - Roofs destroyed, trees down, roads cut off, mobile homes are destroyed, beach homes flooded

Category 5 of saffir simpson?

250+km/h Catastrophic - Many buildings destroyed, vegetation destroyed, major roads cut off, homes flooded

What are the benefits of the Saffir-Simpson Scale?

Easy to understand so easily conveys the risks

What are the critics of the saffir simpson scale?

• Location that the hurricane hits matters, storm surge and rainfall are more apparent + accurate to measure damage but unable to take all the data in.

• Instead measure air pressure in the centre of the eye

Example of why the saffir simpson scale isn’t reliable?

• Hurricane Patricia 345 km/h category 5 but there wasn’t much death + damage because it hit a sparsely populated area where mountains weakened it.

• Hurricane Stan category 1, had 10x more damage, 100x more death because it was densely populated and strengthened as it passed through the Gulf OF Mexico

Economic vulnerability to Hurricanes….

• Well developed countries are less vulnerable and vice versa

• Most accurate predictions + data therefore developed countries can put plans in place earlier

• Investing in coastal defence, reduces storm surge impacts

• Well established evacuation + emergency response teams are better trained. More stocks of water, food and medicine

• Less developed countries rely on international aid

Social vulnerability to Hurricanes….

• Poverty leads to low standards of infrastructure so it’s difficult to evacuate. Poor access to services - high injury + death toll.

• Water supply would be contaminated from storm surge.

• Access to cars is limited so evacuation is slower.

• Elderly victims leads to fragility so more likely to be injured. There’s a less ability to evacuate the area. More prone to disease in the aftermath

Physical vulnerability to Hurricanes….

• Coastal areas so there is a high chance of storm surge, low relief areas like maldives.

• Steep relief has a higher chance of landslides