Expect to stay bunkered down from a couple of hours to 12 hours during a large slowing moving hurricane.
When Winds reach 40 MPH, follow these instructions:
Stay away from unprotected windows. Don't give into temptation to see what's happening through it.
If power blinks off and on, turn off all of the circuit breakers except the one that powers a lamp in an internal part of your house.
Put any food you're going to want to eat during a storm in coolers.
If you rely on an elevator to get to your safe spot, you need to go there now. You do not want to be stuck in the elevator if the power goes out.
The Hurricane Scale:
Call your emergency contact to let them know where you are and how you are doing.
When you hear a weather anchor talking about a hurricane being in a category from 1 to 5, he or she is referring to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. It is a scale that group hurricanes by their wind speed. And from the wind speed, meteorologists can use it to determine the potential damage a hurricane can do. It was first used in hurricane advisories in 1975.
Category 1: 74-95 MPH
- Minimal damage
- No major damage to properly built structures
- Damage to unanchored shrubs and trees
- Evacuations maybe ordered for areas immediately adjacent to water.
- Moderate damage
- Some roof, door and window damage to buildings
- Considerable damages to shrubs and trees with some trees being blown down.
- Coastal and low lying areas flood 2 to 4 hours before arrival of the hurricane's center.
- Evacuations maybe ordered for areas near the water.
- Extensive damage
- Structural damage to residences is likely.
- Damage to shrubs and trees with foliage blown off. Large trees are blown down.
- Mobile homes and signs are destroyed.
- Low lying areas flood 3 to 5 hours before arrival of the hurricane's center.
- Small structures near coast are destroyed with larger structures being heavily damaged.
- Evacuations will be likely ordered for areas prone to storm-surge flooding.
- Extreme damage
- Complete roofs blown off some residences. Extensive exterior damages to large buildings.
- Shrubs, trees and all signs are blown down.
- Complete destruction of mobile homes.
- Major damage to lower floors of structures near the store.
- Some coastal buildings maybe washed away.
- Evacuations will be likely ordered for areas prone to storm-surge flooding.
- Catastrophic damage
- Complete roof failure on many residences and prefabricated buildings.
- Extensive damage to exposed glass on all large buildings.
- Some complete building failures.
- All shrubs, trees and signs are blown down.
- Complete destruction of mobile homes.
- Total destruction of all structures near the shoreline.
Here are pictures of the strongest and most famous hurricanes in modern history:
Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
This category 5 hurricane took over 100 lives and left 100,000 people homeless. It's highest sustained winds was at 160 MPH. Lowest pressure was at 918 mbar.
Hurricane Allen in 1980.
This hurricane stayed at category 5 longer than any hurricane in recorded history. It's wind strength was matched only by Camille, which also had sustained winds of 190 MPH. Lowest pressure was measured at 899 mbar.
Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
Hurricane Wilma was a category 5 hurricane and is one of the costliest storms in history but this hurricane took a backseat to the deadliest hurricane in history, Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall only a couple of months before. Hurricane Wilma's highest sustained winds was at 185 MPH. Lowest pressure point measured at 882 mbar.
Hurricane Andrew in 2002.
A powerful category hurricane which people remember vividly for all the destruction caused to entire neighborhoods in South Florida. It ranks in the top 5 in having the lowest recorded pressure during landfall at 922 mbar. It's maximum sustained wind strength measured at 175 MPH.
Hurricane Camille in 1969.
Perhaps the strongest recorded hurricane in modern history, Hurricane Camille was a monster of a hurricane that caused major damage miles inland far from the water where else other hurricanes would have dissipated rapidly in strength. It's highest sustained wind strength was measured at 190 MPH and amazingly, that was its wind speed when it made landfall. Hurricane Allen's wind speeds would match Camille 11 years later but Allen's top wind speeds came when the eye was still over water. Camille had a central pressure of 905 mbar.
Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.
The largest category 5 hurricane when measured by diameter, Hurricane Gilbert had an extremely low central pressure, only behind Hurricane Wilma at 888 mbar and it had wind speeds up to 185 MPH. This hurricane took more than 340 lives and caused over 5 billion dollars in damage, making it one of the deadliest storms on record.
Hurricane Ivan in 2004
Another Hurricane large in diameter, Ivan was a category 5 hurricane that spawned over a hundred tornadoes in Texas and caused major damage to Lousiana and islands on the Gulf of Mexico. It's highest sustained winds measured at 165 mph and it's lowest central pressure at 910 mbar.
Hurricane Katrina in 2005
The deadliest and the costliest hurricane in history, Hurricane Katrina was a category 5 hurricane that has quickly become the most infamous hurricane of all time. While it had a maximum wind strength of 175 MPH and its lowest central pressure was at 902 mbar, it was the rain from this hurricane that caused the most destruction, flooding most of New Orleans and killing a record number of people and causing over 80 billion dollars in damage.
Source: http://www.hurricane-facts.com/
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