Due to climatic change worldwide, the occurrence and impact of natural disasters are now on the rise. Among these are hurricanes, now forming with a power and intensity beyond comprehension. Traditionally, hurricanes have been rated with the help of the Saffir-Simpson.
These hurricanes ideally have five categories: the goriest with the top superstorms and storms with wind speeds over 157 mph or 250 km/h. However, with climate change pushing some storms beyond these limits, scientists are still determining whether it’s time to introduce a new classification: Category 6 cables.
Understanding the potential need for a Category 6 classification of hurricanes
Since 2013, five tropical cyclones crossed 192 mph (309 km/h), which is proposed for Category 6. One was Hurricane Patricia in 2015, establishing itself as the most intense storm in the Americas, with wind gusting by up to 215 mph.
Patricia and other storms, such as Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and Typhoon Goni in 2020, have made people question or reconsider the categorization system that does not include such high wind speed. James Kossin of the First Street Foundation and Michael Wehner of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who spent years searching hurricanes, state that the current Category 5 can no longer hold.
According to them, storms with wind velocity measuring between 157 and 192 miles per hour should still belong to Category 5. In comparison, storms with wind velocity exceeding 192 miles per hour should fall in Category 6.
Skepticism around introducing a new hurricane classification
However, some skeptics do not agree with the viewpoint that a new category is a solution. Opponents claim that Category 5 has a profound meaning of “catastrophic damage” and that creating a new category will not make any significant difference in the organization of the hurricane response. Furthermore, at such high wind speeds, the level of destruction is high irrespective of the wind speed itself or its magnitude.
From critics, one learns that the Saffir-Simpson scale mainly considers wind speeds when categorizing a hurricane. Still, the storms are composed of other catastrophic aspects like storm surges, flooding, and massive rainfall.
For example, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 created tremendous damage to Texas, not because of the force of winds but because of the heavy downpours and floods that accompanied it. Likewise, Cyclone Jasper 2023, a mere Category 2 storm, led to considerable large-scale flooding in northeastern Queensland in Australia. Thus, the credibility of the current warning systems has been questioned.
Enhancing communication strategies to mitigate hurricane risks effectively
Instead of creating a new category, some storms should aim to enhance the communication of the storm dangers in more parameters than purely the wind power. In addition, storms reveal that water inundation from flooding and storm surges can be as destructive or even worse theorists. The worst examples were Hurricane Florence in 2018 and Hurricane Ida in 2021, which showed that more detailed hurricane warnings involving wind speed, rainfall, flooding risks, and storm size are needed.
In the areas of the world where tropical cyclones are experienced, such as Australia and Asia, other parties employ various scales to measure the intensity of the storms; most consider precipitation and storm surge risks. Others have raised the opinion that similar systems in other nations could depict the extent of the danger posed by tropical cyclones.
Preparing for a future with increasingly powerful hurricanes and storms
For those of you who don’t recall, President Biden recently called the increasing climate heatwaves and wildfires a Category 5 problem, and as the climate warms even further, expect there to be increasing discussions about Category 6. Hurricanes and other tropical storms are gradually being intensified due to increased temperatures in the atmosphere and the ocean, resulting in increased humidity and wind speed.
Although the present Saffir-Simpson scale helps inform the populace when hurricanes are approaching and how dangerous these storms are, more than this scale might be required to cover the rising might of hurricanes. Whether Category 6 emerges or not, citizens need more effective means to assess and mitigate the risks of a hurricane and, more importantly, the danger it poses in terms of wind, rain, or flood.
