A hurricane is an intense, rotating oceanic weather system that possesses maximum sustained winds exceeding 119 km/hr (74 mph). It forms and intensifies over tropical oceanic regions. Hurricanes are generally smaller than storms in mid-latitudes, typically about 500 km (311 miles) in diameter. At the ocean’s surface, the air spirals inward in a counterclockwise direction. This cyclonic circulation becomes weaker with height, eventually turning into clockwise (anticyclonic) outflow near the top of the storm.
| Intensity | Wind Speed | Damage |
| Category 1 | 74-95 mph | MINIMAL: Tree branches, shrubs, unanchored mobile homes |
| Category 2 | 96-110 mph | MODERATE: Mobile homes, poorly constructed buildings, some trees down |
| Category 3 | 111-130 mph | EXTENSIVE: Small buildings damaged, large trees down, mobile homes destroyed |