There are five categories on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale.
The scale ranks hurricanes from Category 1 through Category 5 according to their maximum sustained wind speed. Category 1 begins at 74 mph, while Category 5 represents winds of at least 157 mph. The categories are intended to communicate the potential for wind damage as a storm’s intensity increases.
Civil engineer Herbert Saffir developed the original concept in the early 1970s, and meteorologist Robert Simpson helped adapt it for hurricane warnings while serving as director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The system became widely known as the Saffir–Simpson scale.
A frequent misconception is that the scale directly measures storm surge, rainfall, or flooding. The modern Hurricane Wind Scale is based only on maximum sustained wind. Category 3, 4, and 5 storms are called major hurricanes, but even lower-category hurricanes can produce deadly flooding and storm surge.