Category measures peak sustained wind only. It does not measure rainfall, flooding, storm surge, tornadoes, storm size or your local risk.
| Category | Winds (mph) | Winds (knots) | Winds (km/h) | What the wind can do (NHC) | Power and water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 74–95 | 64–82 | 119–153 | Some damage: roof, shingle, siding and gutter damage to well-built homes; large branches snap and some shallow-rooted trees topple. | Outages lasting a few to several days |
| 2 | 96–110 | 83–95 | 154–177 | Extensive damage: major roof and siding damage; many trees snapped or uprooted and blocking roads. | Near-total power loss for several days to weeks |
| 3 (major) | 111–129 | 96–112 | 178–208 | Devastating damage: major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends; many trees down. | Electricity and water out for several days to weeks |
| 4 (major) | 130–156 | 113–136 | 209–251 | Catastrophic damage: severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and some exterior walls; most trees down. | Outages lasting weeks to possibly months |
| 5 (major) | 157 or higher | 137 or higher | 252 or higher | Catastrophic damage: a high percentage of framed homes destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. | Weeks to months; area may be uninhabitable |
How many hurricane categories are there?
Five. The National Hurricane Center's Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based only on a hurricane's maximum sustained wind speed. Category 1 is the weakest and Category 5 the strongest. There is no Category 6: Category 5 covers every hurricane with sustained winds of 157 mph (137 knots) or higher. Below Category 1 a storm is not a hurricane. It is a tropical storm or a tropical depression.
What are the criteria for each hurricane category?
There is one criterion, maximum sustained wind speed. A tropical cyclone becomes a hurricane when its sustained winds reach 74 mph (64 knots), and its category then follows the table above: Category 1 at 74 to 95 mph, Category 2 at 96 to 110 mph, Category 3 at 111 to 129 mph, Category 4 at 130 to 156 mph and Category 5 at 157 mph or higher. The scale does not take into account other potentially deadly hazards such as storm surge, rainfall flooding and tornadoes.
Hurricane damage by category
The National Hurricane Center describes the wind damage each category can cause. Category 1 means some damage, mostly to roofs, shingles, siding and gutters, with large branches snapping. Category 2 means extensive damage, with many trees snapped or uprooted and roads blocked. Category 3 means devastating damage, with major damage or removal of roof decking. Category 4 means catastrophic damage, with loss of most of the roof structure and some exterior walls. Category 5 means catastrophic damage, with a high percentage of framed homes destroyed. Power outages range from several days at Category 1 to weeks or months at Categories 4 and 5.
How a hurricane's category changes
The category is set from the storm's current maximum sustained wind, so it changes as the storm strengthens or weakens. A storm whose winds fall below 74 mph is no longer a hurricane, but a hurricane warning can stay in effect for dangerously high water even after winds drop below hurricane force. Always read the latest advisory instead of relying on the category it had earlier.
What is a major hurricane?
Categories 3, 4 and 5 are called major hurricanes. Every hurricane can cause dangerous conditions, and a weaker slow-moving storm can produce destructive flooding.
Tropical depression vs tropical storm vs hurricane: what comes before Category 1
A tropical depression has sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less. A tropical storm has winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots) and is given a name. A storm becomes a hurricane, and gets a category, at 74 mph (64 knots). Tropical storms can still cause deadly flooding.
Hurricane, typhoon and cyclone: the same storm with different names
Hurricanes and typhoons are the same kind of weather system, a tropical cyclone. NOAA uses hurricane in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific and eastern North Pacific, and typhoon in the Northwest Pacific. In the South Pacific and Indian Ocean the storms are called tropical cyclones. The Saffir-Simpson scale on this page is the one the National Hurricane Center uses for Atlantic and eastern Pacific hurricanes.
Which unit to use: mph, knots or km/h
The National Hurricane Center issues winds in knots (nautical miles per hour) in its technical products and converts to mph for the public advisory. One knot is about 1.15 mph. The table above lists all three exactly as the National Hurricane Center publishes them.
Wind is only part of the danger
The scale rates wind only. Storm surge, rainfall flooding and tornadoes can be deadly in any hurricane, which is why evacuation orders are based on surge risk and not on category alone.
Category is not your local forecast
Maximum wind occurs in one part of a storm. Your exposure depends on location, storm size, terrain and other hazards. Follow the specific local warning and evacuation instructions.
A lower category does not mean low overall risk. Water hazards have caused severe impacts in storms whose wind category weakened before landfall.
Check your own location
See current official alerts and the impact for your ZIP code.
Common questions
How many categories are in a hurricane?
Five. The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates hurricanes from Category 1 to Category 5 based only on maximum sustained wind speed. Source: National Hurricane Center.
What wind speed is each hurricane category in mph, knots and km/h?
Category 1: 74 to 95 mph (64 to 82 knots, 119 to 153 km/h). Category 2: 96 to 110 mph (83 to 95 knots, 154 to 177 km/h). Category 3: 111 to 129 mph (96 to 112 knots, 178 to 208 km/h). Category 4: 130 to 156 mph (113 to 136 knots, 209 to 251 km/h). Category 5: 157 mph or higher (137 knots or higher, 252 km/h or higher). Source: National Hurricane Center.
What are the criteria for a hurricane category?
Only one: the storm's maximum sustained wind speed. A tropical cyclone is a hurricane at 74 mph (64 knots) or more, and the category follows the wind ranges above. The scale does not take storm surge, rainfall flooding or tornadoes into account.
What wind speed makes a storm a Category 1 hurricane?
74 mph (64 knots). Below that, a storm with winds of 39 to 73 mph is a tropical storm and one with winds of 38 mph or less is a tropical depression.
Is there a Category 6 hurricane?
No. The National Hurricane Center scale runs from 1 to 5, and Category 5 covers every hurricane with sustained winds of 157 mph (137 knots) or higher.
What is a major hurricane?
A hurricane of Category 3 or higher, which means sustained winds of 111 mph (96 knots) or more.
How strong is a tropical depression, and what are the levels before a hurricane?
A tropical depression has sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less. A tropical storm has winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots) and is given a name. A storm becomes a hurricane, and gets a category, at 74 mph (64 knots).
Is a hurricane the same as a typhoon or a cyclone?
They are the same kind of storm, a tropical cyclone. It is called a hurricane in the Atlantic and eastern and central Pacific, a typhoon in the Northwest Pacific, and a tropical cyclone in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean (NOAA).
Does a hurricane category show how dangerous the flooding will be?
No. Category measures peak sustained wind only. It does not measure rainfall, flooding, storm surge, tornadoes, storm size or your local risk.
Sources
- NHC Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale
- NHC Glossary
- NOAA: Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones
- NOAA AOML Hurricane FAQ: tropical cyclone terms
Reviewed by the Storm Incoming editorial team on September 27, 2026. Follow local emergency officials if their instructions differ.