Category One Hurricane:
Winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr). Storm surge generally 4-5
ft above normal. No real damage to building structures. Damage
primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Some damage
to poorly constructed signs. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor
pier damage. Hurricanes Allison of 1995 and Danny of 1997 were Category
One hurricanes at peak intensity.
Category Two Hurricane:
Winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177 km/hr). Storm surge generally 6-8
feet above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of
buildings. Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees
blown down. Considerable damage to mobile homes, poorly constructed
signs, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours
before arrival of the hurricane center. Small craft in unprotected
anchorages break moorings. Hurricane Bonnie of 1998 was a Category Two
hurricane when it hit the North Carolina coast, while Hurricane Georges
of 1998 was a Category Two Hurricane when it hit the Florida Keys and
the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Category Three Hurricane:
Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr). Storm surge generally
9-12 ft above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and
utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Damage
to shrubbery and trees with foliage blown off trees and large trees
blown down. Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed.
Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before
arrival of the center of the hurricane. Flooding near the coast
destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering
from floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 ft above mean
sea level may be flooded inland 8 miles (13 km) or more. Evacuation of
low-lying residences with several blocks of the shoreline may be
required. Hurricanes Roxanne of 1995 and Fran of 1996 were Category
Three hurricanes at landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and in
North Carolina, respectively.
Category Four Hurricane:
Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr). Storm surge generally
13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some
complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees,
and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes.
Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes may be
cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the
hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore.
Terrain lower than 10 ft above sea level may be flooded requiring
massive evacuation of residential areas as far inland as 6 miles (10
km). Hurricane Luis of 1995 was a Category Four hurricane while moving
over the Leeward Islands. Hurricanes Felix and Opal of 1995 also
reached Category Four status at peak intensity.
Category Five Hurricane:
Winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr). Storm surge generally
greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many
residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures
with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and
signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and
extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes are cut by
rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane.
Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft
above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive
evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16
km) of the shoreline may be required. Hurricane Mitch of 1998 was a
Category Five hurricane at peak intensity over the western Caribbean.
Hurricane Gilbert of 1988 was a Category Five hurricane at peak
intensity and is one of the strongest Atlantic tropical cyclones of
record
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