Hurricane Melissa’s powerful winds and drenching rains devastated Jamaica. But is its wrath a sign that we need a new designation for monster storms?

A Georgia Tech researcher says we may need more tools to measure the full impacts of strong hurricanes like Melissa.

Melissa is among three Atlantic hurricanes to make landfall with 185 mph winds. Another storm to do so was the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.

For the last few years, I have opined about the inadequacy of the Saffir — Simpson scale for conveying the full impacts of hurricanes. Harvey (2017), Milton (2024) and Helene (2024) are examples of hurricanes that altered landscapes and entire regions ...

When you hear terms like Category 1, Category 3 or even the rare Category 5 mentioned regarding hurricanes, what is being discussed is the classification system for hurricanes based on their winds. Here is what the scale means: The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane ...

The hurricane severity scale used today only measures wind, not storm surge or rainfall. USF professor Jennifer Collins helped develop a new system called the Tropical Cyclone Severity Scale. Researchers hope it will give the public more insight to better ...

As climate change continues to reshape the intensity and behavior of hurricanes, meteorologists and researchers are examining whether the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a decades-old classification system, still adequately communicates the full scope ...

Hurricane Melissa, maintaining its status as a Category 5 storm—the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale—has slightly increased its speed and