BOTH ENDS OF A SCALE...

For those of us who live in "Hurricane Alley", the Saffir Simpson scale is required reading. Sooner or later, each of us will use terms like "Category 2" and "storm surge". Have you ever wondered about the origin of the scale? Like many weather related topics, it's not just a matter of meteorology.

The Saffir Simpson scale measures hurricane intensity through wind/pressure estimates. Category 1 storms are the weakest, with winds between 74 mph and 95 mph. Category 5 storms are the strongest, with winds over 155 miles per hour. Incidentally, North Carolina has never recorded a Category 5 landfall.

The original scale was developed in the early 1970's through the combined efforts of Bob Simpson and Herbert Saffir. Simpson served as head of the National Hurricane Center for several years, and recognized the need for a reliable rating system for hurricanes. But it was actually Herbert Saffir, a civil engineer, who devised the first draft.

Saffir was inspired by the Richter scale, which rated earthquakes using a simple numbering system. Through damage surveys and controlled wind experiments, Saffir determined the general wind thresholds needed to create a certain level of damage. At Bob Simpson's suggestion, storm surge estimates were soon added to the scale. The end result has remained a standard for over 30 years.