JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Studies have shown that the strongest tropical storms are getting more intense because of climate change. This has led to discussions about changing the current hurricane scale. Many news agencies have started reporting about the possibility of category 6 hurricanes. The current scale goes from categories 1 to 5.
A study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences proposed the increase in strength due to climate change is not accurately represented by the current Saffir-Simpson scale.
THE QUESTION
Is Cat 6 being added to the hurricane scale?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, told First Coast News, "no," category 6 is not being added to the hurricane scale.
WHAT WE FOUND
Earlier this week, two climate scientists proposed a category 6 hurricane classification for storms with winds over 192 miles per hour. Since 2013, 5 Pacific storms would have met that classification.
The scientists who authored the study on the hypothetical category 6 say climate change is making hurricanes stronger, and thus the current Saffir-Simpson scale may not convey the true power of these occasionally extreme hurricanes with wind speeds near 200 miles an hour.
The idea has been brought up over the decades but hasn’t been considered because there already is a problem using wind as the only category to convey risk, Rhome told First Coast News. The current Saffir-Simpson scale doesn’t include hazards such as storm surge and heavy rain.
“Often your waterborne threats are the deadliest component of a hurricane," Rhome said. "So at the hurricane center, we’re seeking to not push the wind too far forward, but rather to help the other hazards be prominent.”
Besides that, the definition of a category 5 hurricane includes the wording “catastrophic” when it comes to the type of wind damage, Rhome adds. “I mean, what more are you going to say than catastrophic?”