From June to November, both coasts of the United States cringe at the mention of the word “hurricane.” The weather and news channel are sure to focus every minute of airtime to the impending hurricane in order to prepare the people in the forecasted affected areas. They use a scale, known as the Saffir- Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, to best predict the intensity of the storm. However, this scale only predicts the wind speed, not necessarily the amount of precipitation associated. As a kid, with relatives located all throughout Florida, I was fascinated by hurricanes. Something about the eerie skies and unknown danger allured to me to them. Thus, I always paid attention to each hurricane and what it ranked on the hurricane scale. However, what I never noticed was that the hurricane scale only accounts for wind speed. Thanks to my Freshmen Odyssey Seminar class, I began to find the flaws in the hurricane scale.
Hurricane Irene struck the northeast coast this August and caused extensive flooding and wind damage, crippling the nation’s busiest region. However, according to the Saffir- Simpson wind scale, Hurricane Irene was only a Category One hurricane. Theoretically, the damage done the northeast should have been minimal. That was obviously not the case. In the south, a category one hurricane is merely considered an inconvenience for those living on the coast. No one so much as blinks an eye at the mention of a Category One hurricane. Yet in the media, Hurricane Irene received just a little bit less publicity as Hurricane Katrina in 2005. But there was over $7.5 billion in damage, and fifty-six people died. One would assume that if a storm received that much attention, the people living in the affected areas would have better prepared themselves. The fatalities weren’t from the wind though; floods and extensive rain caused the deaths. This brings me back to my original point that the Saffir- Simpson Hurricane Scale is flawed. Precipitation, as I have just explained, can cause widespread damage and deaths. Hurricane Irene is a perfect example of why the scale should be changed to better predict the intensity of storms so that the United States, or anywhere in the world for that matter, will not have to suffer fatalities that could have been prevented.
