Carolina Weather Group

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale was developed in 1969 by Herbert Saffir and Bob Simpson and introduced to the public in 1973. Saffir developed the initial scale when he realized there was no simple scale for describing the effects of hurricanes. He devised a 1-5 scale based on the wind speeds of a storm and the expected damage to structures. Simpson collaborated and added on storm surge and pressure. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) eliminated the components of pressure and storm surge in 2009, transforming it into a pure wind scale known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.  Athena Masson and William Gough think they have a better way to classify hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean and they call it the Masson-Gough Hurricane Scale. Their method combines previous components such as wind, barometric pressure, and storm surge as well as new potential elements that will measure an approaching tropical cyclone: size, precipitation, forward speed, and extratropical transition.  READ MORE THEIR