Classification of hurricanes: Lessons from Katrina, Ike, Irene, Isaac and Sandy

• The widely used Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale is shown to be misleading.
• Better ways to inform the public about potential impact of hurricanes are presented.
• Lessons from recent hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Irene, Isaac and Sandy are discussed.
• The size of a tropical cyclone cannot be ignored in assessing its potential impact.
• No single index can convey the intensity, wind and storm surge hazard potentials.

Lessons learned from disastrous hurricanes in recent years, especially Katrina, Ike, Irene, Isaac and Sandy are discussed, and improved ways to inform the public about the potential impact of tropical cyclones are presented. An alternative classification system is shown to be more informative than the Saffir–Simpson scale currently in use, and should prove beneficial to the general public and the coastal engineering community. The most important lesson is that the size of the hurricane matters, not just its intensity.