Presentation PDF (286.6 kB)
Shortly after the devastating 2005 hurricane season, a new hurricane scale was developed that takes into account both a tropical cyclone's maximum sustained wind as well as the size of its wind field. This new scale is called the Hurricane Severity Index, or HSI. The HSI is a 50-point scale, with up to 25 points allotted for a tropical cyclone's intensity and up to 25 points allotted for the size of the wind field. The Hurricane Severity Index can be incorporated into a damage prediction model to better estimate a tropical cyclone's true destructive potential in terms of projected loss in dollars for the area impacted. In addition, the size component of the Hurricane Severity Index can be used to better estimate potential storm surge for a landfalling tropical cyclone.
![](images/flag.png)
![](images/blue_ribbon.png)