The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) is the hurricane intensity classification scale used by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) to measure the strength of hurricanes. The scale was developed by engineer Herbert Saffir and NHC then-director Robert Simpson in 1971. It is primarily used for hurricanes in the Atlantic and East Pacific. The SSHWS uses one-minute sustained winds to measure intensity. It is divided into five categories, from category 1 to category 5, with category 5 being the most intense. Officially, hurricane wind speeds are measured in knots by the NHC, but miles per hour is more commonly used by the American media. As a result, certain miles per hour values are skipped because of unit conversions (55, 95, 135, 170 and 210 mph). It should be noted that the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale measures the intensity of hurricanes based on wind speed alone, and does not take into account the storm’s size, storm surge or minimum pressure.
| Classification | Max. 1-minute sustained wind (mph) | Max. 1-minute sustained wind (kt) | Max. 1-minute sustained wind (km/h) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression* | < 39 | < 34 | < 63 |
| Tropical Storm* | 39-73 | 34-63 | 63-118 |
| Category 1 Hurricane | 74-95 | 64-82 | 119-153 |
| Category 2 Hurricane | 96-110 | 83-95 | 154-177 |
| Category 3 Major Hurricane | 111-129 | 96-112 | 178-208 |
| Category 4 Major Hurricane | 130-156 | 113-136 | 209-251 |
| Category 5 Major Hurricane | 157+ | 137+ | 252+ |
*The Tropical Depression and Tropical Storm classifications are not officially part of the SSHWS, but are used by the NHC to measure the intensities of weak tropical cyclones.