The Saffir-Simpson scale ranks hurricanes on their wind speeds, on a scale from 1 to 5. But critics say the scale doesn't ...

Tropical systems begin as tropical depressions, which are areas of low pressure with wind speeds of up to 38 miles per hour. When those winds strengthen and reach between 39 and 73 miles per hour, the ...

Wind alone does not account for all hurricane-related fatalities. Storm surge and rainfall do as well. Yet the current warning system—the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale—measures a storm's ...