Saffir-Simpson Category | Maximum Sustained Wind Speed (m/s) | Minimum Surface pressure (mb) | Storm Surge (m) | Potential Damaging Effects |
1 | 33 to 42 | >980 | 1.0 to 1.7 | Minimal |
2 | 43 to 49 | 979 to 965 | 1.8 to 2.6 | Moderate |
3 | 50 to 58 | 964 to 945 | 2.7 to 3.8 | Extensive |
4 | 59 to 69 | 944 to 920 | 3.9 to 5.6 | Extreme |
5 | >69 | < 920 | >5.6 | Catastrophic |
Rank | Year | NS | Index value | Rank | Year | NS | Index value | Rank | Year | NS | Index value | Rank | Year | NS | Index value |
1 | 1906 | (5) | 1.69 | 24 | 1938 | (4) | 0.44 | 47 | 1949 | (5) | 0.05 | 70 | 1976 | (5) | -0.56 |
2 | 1954 | (5) | 1.46 | 25 | 1967 | (5) | 0.41 | 48 | 1957 | (5) | 0.04 | 71 | 1974 | (5) | -0.57 |
3 | 1918 | (3) | 1.27 | 26 | 1951 | (5) | 0.39 | 49 | 1965 | (5) | -0.04 | 72 | 1978 | (5) | -0.62 |
4 | 1927 | (4) | 1.24 | 27 | 1919 | (3) | 0.38 | 50 | 1916 | (3) | -0.05 | 73 | 1981 | (5) | -0.62 |
5 | 1936 | (5) | 1.14 | 28 | 1930 | (4) | 0.37 | 51 | 1920 | (4) | -0.05 | 74 | 1907 | (5) | -0.64 |
6 | 1943 | (5) | 1.14 | 29 | 1964 | (5) | 0.35 | 52 | 1925 | (4) | -0.05 | 75 | 1942 | (5) | -0.64 |
7 | 1935 | (5) | 1.10 | 30 | 1975 | (5) | 0.34 | 53 | 1926 | (4) | -0.05 | 76 | 1971 | (5) | -0.64 |
8 | 1989 | (5) | 1.00 | 31 | 1960 | (5) | 0.30 | 54 | 1963 | (5) | -0.08 | 77 | 1980 | (5) | -0.64 |
9 | 1950 | (5) | 0.97 | 32 | 1969 | (5) | 0.30 | 55 | 1928 | (4) | -0.09 | 78 | 1979 | (5) | -0.67 |
10 | 1915 | (3) | 0.97 | 33 | 1946 | (4) | 0.29 | 56 | 1912 | (5) | -0.10 | 79 | 1968 | (5) | -0.85 |
11 | 1958 | (5) | 0.91 | 34 | 1922 | (5) | 0.24 | 57 | 1937 | (4) | -0.11 | 80 | 1987 | (5) | -0.86 |
12 | 1917 | (3) | 0.85 | 35 | 1945 | (5) | 0.23 | 58 | 1988 | (5) | -0.11 | 81 | 1990 | (5) | -0.89 |
13 | 1909 | (5) | 0.82 | 36 | 1908 | (5) | 0.21 | 59 | 1934 | (5) | -0.14 | 82 | 1973 | (5) | -0.93 |
14 | 1924 | (4) | 0.77 | 37 | 1953 | (5) | 0.21 | 60 | 1966 | (5) | -0.16 | 83 | 1902 | (5) | -0.96 |
15 | 1952 | (5) | 0.74 | 38 | 1901 | (4) | 0.20 | 61 | 1956 | (5) | -0.18 | 84 | 1984 | (5) | -0.97 |
16 | 1905 | (5) | 0.72 | 39 | 1903 | (4) | 0.19 | 62 | 1985 | (5) | -0.20 | 85 | 1970 | (5) | -1.00 |
17 | 1933 | (4) | 0.58 | 40 | 1944 | (5) | 0.19 | 63 | 1914 | (3) | -0.22 | 86 | 1986 | (5) | -1.02 |
18 | 1955 | (5) | 0.56 | 41 | 1947 | (5) | 0.19 | 64 | 1900 | (4) | -0.23 | 87 | 1941 | (5) | -1.03 |
19 | 1948 | (5) | 0.55 | 42 | 1961 | (5) | 0.19 | 65 | 1904 | (4) | -0.25 | 88 | 1982 | (5) | -1.12 |
20 | 1921 | (3) | 0.54 | 43 | 1899 | (3) | 0.18 | 66 | 1910 | (5) | -0.29 | 89 | 1913 | (4) | -1.14 |
21 | 1940 | (5) | 0.51 | 44 | 1929 | (4) | 0.13 | 67 | 1939 | (4) | -0.29 | 90 | 1977 | (5) | -1.26 |
22 | 1923 | (4) | 0.47 | 45 | 1962 | (5) | 0.12 | 68 | 1911 | (5) | -0.40 | 91 | 1972 | (5) | -1.47 |
23 | 1932 | (5) | 0.47 | 46 | 1959 | (5) | 0.11 | 69 | 1931 | (5) | -0.53 | 92 | 1983 | (5) | -1.77 |
Number of stations (NS) available (out of a possible five per year) are also indicated in parentheses.
Rainfall | ||||
Station | Mean | Std dev | Years | r vs index |
Tombouctou, Mali | 183.4 | 59.8 | 80 | .67 |
Kayes, Mali | 635.5 | 146.5 | 79 | .70 |
Saint Louis, Senegal | 321.3 | 159.1 | 91 | .59 |
Dakar, Senegal | 454.0 | 167.8 | 91 | .79 |
Bathurst, Gambia | 1025.7 | 269.5 | 84 | .78 |
Rainfall quartile | Mean annual rainfall | Gulf Coast | Upper Atlantic Coast | Florida peninsula | East Coast | Entire U.S. coast |
U.S. intense hurricanes | ||||||
Very wet | +0.87 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 25 |
Wet | +0.24 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 18 |
Dry | -0.17 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 15 |
Very dry | -0.93 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Wettest vs driest half frequencies | 17\16 | 13\1 | 13\5 | 26\6 | 43\22 | |
Exact two-sided P value | 1.000 | 0.002 | 0.096 | <0.001 | 0.013 | |
Wettest vs driest half frequencies | 10\7 | 8\0 | 7\0 | 15\0 | 25\7 | |
Exact two-sided P value | 0.629 | 0.008 | 0.016 | <0.001 | 0.002 | |
U.S. intense hurricanes | ||||||
Very wet | +0.87 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 25 |
Wet | +0.24 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 27 |
Dry | -0.17 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 30 |
Very dry | -0.93 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 20 |
Wettest vs driest half frequencies | 24/24 | 15/15 | 13/11 | 28/26 | 52/50 | |
Exact two-sided P value | 1.000 | 1.000 | 0.839 | 0.892 | 0.921 | |
Wettest vs driest half frequencies | 14/9 | 5/7 | 6/4 | 11/11 | 25/20 | |
Exact two-sided P value | 0.405 | 0.774 | 0.754 | 1.000 | 0.551 |