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It is hard to determine exactly.

A bit of math first: Hurricane ratings are based on wind speed. The force exerted by a given wind is proportional to the square of the speed. Category 1 winds are 74 to 95 mph. Category 5 winds are 157 mph or greater with wind measured as high as 195 mph. A 157 mph wind carries about 4.5 times the force of a 74 mph wind.

But destruction is more complicated than that. Most structures can withstand a 74 mph wind without suffering major damage, but not a 157 mph wind. Additionally, once destruction begins, debris adds to the destructive potential. Finally, it is water, not wind that usually causes the most destruction in a hurricane. A category 5 hurricane can cause more severe coastal flooding than a category 1.

An article by the National Hurricane Center suggests that a category 5 hurricane has more than 100 times the destructive potential of a category 1.

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9y ago

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Related Questions

What category are hurricanes most destructive?

Category 5


What is the ranking of the most destructive kind of hurricane?

The strongest and generally most destructive category of hurricane is category 5, though a hurricanes wind-speed based rating is not the only factor in how destructive a hurricane is.


Category 5 hurricane are the most destructive ture or false?

true


Category 5 hurricanes are the most destructive true or false?

true


What category for hurricanes are the most destructive?

The worst category of hurricane is a category 5, with winds of at least 156 mph.


How does The category 5 hurricanes are the most destructive?

A category 5 is the strongest hurricane. Such a storm has the strongest winds and usually produces a very high storm surge.


What are the most destructive hurricanes called?

Category Five


Are category 5 hurricane the most destructive?

Generally, yes. Category 5 hurricanes produce the fastest winds and highest storm surges and thus can produce more damage than weaker storms.


Is it true category 5 hurricanes are the most destructive?

Yes. The five categories of the Saffir-Simpson scale are based on a hurricane's sustained wind speed. They are: Category 1: 74-95 mph Category 2: 96-110 mph Category 3: 111-130 mph Category 4: 131-155 mph Category 5: 156+ mph


Is a category 5 the least severe hurricane?

No a category 1 hurricane is the least sever in wind speed, and strength. A category 5 is the most powerful type of hurricane to date, reaching winds of up to 190 mph. But that does not mean that a category 5 is the most destructive, any hurricane can cause enough damage to kill thousands.


What measured using the Saffir-Simpson scale?

The Saffir-Simpson Scale is an estimate of the power of hurricanes. Their Categories are Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, Category 4, and Category 5. All of them are destructive, especially Category 3 through 5.


What is the difference between a cat 1 and a cat 5 hurricane?

A category 1 hurricane has sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph and is expected to cause mostly minor damage. A category 5 hurricane has winds of at least 156 mph and is expected to cause catastrophic damage.