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What do hurricane categories actually mean?
This system has helped people for decades
© Getty Images
The sky darkens, and winds begin to gather strength far out over the ocean: what begins as a seemingly harmless tropical breeze in the distance can grow into a powerful and destructive monster that is capable of uprooting trees, flooding cities, and carving new coastlines. Hurricanes are truly some of the most devastating forces on the planet, but not all of them are created equal. Meteorologists rely on carefully crafted systems to measure, categorize, and predict the path of these weather giants.
Between a mild tempest and a catastrophic hurricane, categorizing and understanding tropical storms can mean the difference between life and death. But what do these categories mean? And does everyone around the world use the same system? Click through this gallery to find out.
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