Ask Josh Fitzpatrick: Rating Tornadoes and Hurricanes
Tornadoes and Hurricanes are rated on different scales. Meteorologist Josh Fitzpatrick explains what the scales are and how they're different.
We've seen a lot of damage across the nation this spring and early summer season from all the tornadoes that have touched down. When we talk about a tornado’s damage path you'll often hear us mention the scale of damage using the Fujita scale.
Amy in Boyd County, Kentucky asks: "What exactly is the Fujita scale and what scale do you use to rate hurricanes?"
Those are very good questions, Amy and here's a look at the Fujita scale.
In the early 1970s, University of
Hurricanes are rated differently. We use the Saffir-Simpson scale to rate hurricanes. In 1971, civil engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Bob Simpson who was the director of the National Hurricane center at the time developed a one to five category list to rate a hurricane based on its wind speed. A category one is the weakest. When a hurricane is rated a three or higher it's considered a major hurricane. A category five is the strongest with winds greater than 155 mph.
The last time a cat. Five hit the
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