We're in the middle of hurricane season, so we spend a lot of time listening to meteorologists geek out about storm systems and weather patterns. They get that excited, yet appropriately concerned, look in their eyes as they chatter on about tropical cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes. But are the systems they're talking about all the same thing, or is there a difference? And what about tornadoes?
As Hurricane Isaac recently demonstrated, hurricane season is in full swing, and even a storm with a low rating on the severity scale can do serious damage. That’s why, if you live in a hurricane zone, you should always be making improvements to your home to make it more hurricane-resistant.
Weather-industry insiders feel that the Saffir-Simpson Scale, which rates hurricane strength on a scale of Category 1 (weakest) through 5 (strongest), is inadequate.
Some say changes need to be made, since the current system doesn't include enough information about the storm, that it only denotes wind speed. It reveals little detail about the tidal surge, which is what actually causes the most dea