Category One Hurricane. Winds 74-95 mph, storm surge 4-5 ft above normal. Effects: No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage.
Category Two Hurricane. Winds 96-110 mph, storm surge 6-8 ft above normal. Effects: Some roofing material, door, and window damage to buildings. Considerable damage to vegetation, mobile homes, and piers. Coastal and low-lying evacuation routes flooded 2-4 hours before arrival of hurricane center. Small craft in unprotected harbors break moorings.
Category Three Hurricane. Winds 111-130 mph, storm surge 9-12 ft above normal. Effects: Structural damage to small residences and utility buildings wit a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Mobile homes are destroyed. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 ft ASL (above sea level) may be flooded inland 8 miles or more.
Category Four Hurricane. Winds 131-155 mph, storm surge 13-18 ft above normal. Effects: Extensive cutainwall failures with some complete roof structure failure on small residences. Major erosion of beach. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 ft. ASL may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas inland as far as 6 miles.
Category Five Hurricane. Winds 155+ mph, storm surge 19+ ft above normal. Effects: Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures wit small utility building blown over or away. Major damage to lower floors of structures located less than 15 ft. ASL and within 500 yards of shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles of the shore may be required.
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