SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE INTENSITY SCALE

Cat 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Mph 74-95 96-110 111-130 131-155 156+

min. surface pressure 980+ millibars 979-965 mb 964-945 mb 944-920 mb less than 920 mb

storm surge 3-5' 6-8' 9-12' 13-18' 19'+

damage minimal moderate extensive extreme catastrophic

Prerequisites of a tropical cyclone:

TALE OF THE TAPE -- AN EAST-WEST COMPARISON

	Atlantic/Caribbean		Eastern Pacific
Season	june 1- november 30		may 15- November 30
Strongest	Camille (69), Allen (80) - 190 mph+		Tip (79), Nancy (61) - 190+
Longest	Ginger (71) - 28 days		John (94) - 31 days
Most in a yr.	12		14
Least	2		4
Average	5.4		8.9

Deadliest - Bangladesh Cyclone on 1970 - at least 300,000 killed; In U.S. - Galveston Hurricane of 1900 - over 8000 deaths
Costliest - Andrew (92) - $38.3 billion in southeast; Figuring for inflation - Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 - $83 billion+

Why don't West Coast storms make landfall while the East gets battered every year?
Hurricanes are steered by weather patterns in a general west/northwest direction after forming in the tropics. In the Pacific, this course takes a hurricane out to sea, while in the Atlantic it has its choice of several states. A large reason for this trend is the Gulf Stream, a northbound current drawing warm water up the East Coast. On the other hand, California water temperatures rarely rise above the low 70's, greatly reducing the strength of any approaching tropical cyclone.

FAVORITE SURFING SEASONS:
EAST COAST: 1995's record of 19 named storms is not only the most recent favorite, it's the second most active Atlantic season since they began keeping records over 100 years ago. 11 of the storms reached hurricane strength, but none were so appreciated as Felix, which spun for 12 days, stroking the whole coast from Maine to Miami with epic surf. It's doubtful East Coasters will see another like '95, but this season is more responsible than any for fueling the regions carnal lust for tropical activity.

WEST COAST: Unfortunately, West Coast surfers don't harbor the same religous zeal for hurricanes since tropical swells are rarely as substantial as the winter norths or even a really solid southern hemi. But the combo of Guillermo and Linda in 1997 was enough to widen expectations for what a tropical season can really do. Nearly 500 miles across, Guillermo raged for 21 days in August, sending more than a weeks' worth of surf to almost all of California. Come September, Linda followed suit, moving north far enough to almost hand-deliver the swell, resulting in a rare hurricane warning for Southern California. (In 1939, the remnants of a hurricane actually impacted California, causing tremendous floods and tearing out coastal homes and piers.)

GULF COAST: Most summers, the Gulf Coast crew vainly hopes for just one or two tropical swells to spare them from the season of flatness while the Atlantic Seaboard reaps most of the rewards. But in 1998, these surfers were rewarded for their patience when five of the six named storms that entered the Gulf sent more surf than they did damage. Charlie, Earl, Frances, Georges, and Mitch had surfers grinning from South Padre to Tampa, reversing the normal seasonal pattern of migration as East Coasters struck turned west to strike gold on the Panhandle.

HAWAII: It's hard to say if Hawaii's ever had a favorite season. Like California, hurricanes just don't get the job done in the islands compared to winter's overflowing bounty. But if you're looking for the most memorable year, it would have to be 1992 when Hurricane Iniki plowed through, causing $2.2 billion in damages. It was only the third storm to directly impact the islands in fifty years, and it's one they won't soon forget.