Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant documents that can help answer the question.
Query: Who developed the categories for hurricanes?
The scale was developed in 1971 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Robert Simpson, who at the time was director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC).[1] The scale was introduced to the general public in 1973,[2] and saw widespread use after Neil Frank replaced Simpson at the helm of the NHC in 1974.[3]
The first storm of the season developed on July 2, and the final storm was last sighted on November 4, while situated just to the north of the Bahamas.
Most of the systems directly impacted land. A tropical storm that developed in the Bay of Campeche during the month of September destroyed the Brazos Santiago lighthouse. in the state of Texas. The sixth storm of the season, and also the third hurricane, made landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane before making a second landfall in South Carolina at the same intensity. The seventh, final, and strongest system of the season developed in the Caribbean on the last day of October, and made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 2 hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm by the time it made a second landfall in Eastern Cuba. The storm was last sighted to the north of the Bahamas on November 4, as a Category 1 hurricane.
A tropical storm developed east of Trinidad and Tobago on August 12 and began moving northwestward. Originally it was thought the storm became a Category 1 hurricane the next day but re-analysis now shows it remained as a tropical storm until August 14. On the evening of August 15 it reached the island of Hispaniola. After crossing the south of that island as a Category 1 hurricane, it struck southeastern Cuba on August 16 as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm briefly weakened whilst over land and entered the Gulf of Mexico near Matanzas on August 18 as a Category 1 storm. As the hurricane crossed the Gulf of Mexico it strengthened further, first to a Category 2 then to a Category 3 cyclone. As it approached the coast of Texas, it had intensified to a 150 mph (240 km/h) Category 4 hurricane.
Of all of the Category 5 Pacific hurricanes, the only ones to make landfall at any intensity were Hurricane Kenna, Hurricane Rick, Hurricane Patricia, and Hurricane Willa. None made landfall as Category 5 hurricanes; Patricia and Kenna had weakened to Category 4 status at the time of their landfalls, Willa had weakened to Category 3, and Rick was a tropical storm at its landfall. Patricia was the strongest at landfall among Pacific hurricanes; 1976's Hurricane Madeline and 1992's Hurricane Iniki are tied as the second-strongest storms at landfall, both of which did not reach Category 5 strength, but made landfall as stronger Category 4 storms than Kenna. Originally, a hurricane in 1959 was thought to have struck Manzanillo at Category 5 intensity, but a reanalysis in 2016 indicated the storm had peaked as a Category 4 hurricane, and made landfall with the same sustained wind speed as Kenna. Patricia was also originally thought to have made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane near Manzanillo before post-season analysis in 2016.
During the evening of June 24, Hurricane Celia intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm, further solidifying it as the strongest of the 2010 Pacific hurricane season. At its peak, the cyclone attained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) along with a minimum pressure of 921 mbar (hPa; 27.2 inHg). This ranks it as the second-strongest June hurricane on record, as well as the eleventh-strongest in the basin, and the second known Category 5 to develop during the month on record. The strongest and first known storm of this intensity in June was Hurricane Ava in 1973. Additionally, it also marked the first time on record that two consecutive seasons featured Category 5 hurricanes, with Hurricane Rick in October 2009 reaching this intensity, the second time two consecutive seasons had a category 5 hurricane was when hurricanes Marie and Patricia formed in 2014 and 2015 respectively. In the National Hurricane Center's monthly tropical weather summary for June 2010, it was stated that the accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) for the month was the highest on record, most of which is attributed to Hurricane Celia.
During the season, 15 storms developed, 5 of those became hurricanes, and 3 of those became major hurricanes. The strongest of the storms was Hurricane Dot, which was a Category 4 and made landfall on Kauai, Hawaii, as a Category 1. Patsy reached winds, but had a pressure higher than Dot. The deadliest storm of the season was Hurricane Fifteen, which made landfall in Mexico at Category 4 and killed 1,800 people.
Hurricane Irma was the costliest storm in the history of the U.S. state of Florida. Irma developed from a tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands on August 30, 2017. The storm quickly became a hurricane on August 31 and then a major hurricane shortly thereafter, but would oscillate in intensity over the next few days. By September 4, Irma resumed strengthening, and became a powerful Category 5 hurricane on the following day. The cyclone then struck Saint Maarten and the British Virgin Islands on September 6 and later crossed Little Inagua in the Bahamas on September 8. Irma briefly weakened to a Category 4, but re-intensified into a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago of Cuba. After falling to Category 3 status due to land interaction, the storm re-strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane in the Straits of Florida. Irma struck Florida twice on September 10 – the first as a Category 4 at Cudjoe Key and the second on Marco Island as a Category 3. The hurricane weakened significantly over Florida and was reduced to a tropical storm before exiting the state into Georgia on September 11.
A total of 95 hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean Basin, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, have reached Category 4 status as their peak intensity. (Note that Category 4 storms that intensified later to Category 5 status are not included in this analysis.)
Most Category 4 hurricanes occur during September, with 51 storms occurring in that month. This coincides with the average peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, which occurs on September 10. Most Category 4 hurricanes develop in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Several Category 4 hurricanes are Cape Verde-type hurricanes. 
There have been no Category 4 hurricanes to form in either May or December, or in any other month outside the traditional bounds of the Atlantic hurricane season.
A Category 2 hurricane is defined by the National Hurricane Center as a tropical cyclone with winds of at least , but not greater than on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, which was developed in 1971. Sustained winds are defined by the National Hurricane Center as the average wind speed over the course of one minute at a height of . Category 2 hurricanes that make landfall have the potential to cause extensive damage. There is also a substantial risk of injury or death to humans and animals due to flying debris.
Hurricane Able in 1951 was initially thought to be the earliest forming major hurricane – a tropical cyclone with winds exceeding  – however following post-storm analysis it was determined that Able only reached Category 1 strength which made Hurricane Alma of 1966 the new record holder; as it became a major hurricane on June 8. Though it developed within the bounds of the Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Audrey in 1957 became the earliest developing Category 4 hurricane on record after it reached the intensity on June 27. However, reanalysis from 1956 to 1960 by NOAA downgraded Audrey to a Category 3, making Hurricane Dennis of 2005 the earliest Category 4 on record on July 8, 2005. The earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane, Emily, reached the highest intensity on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale on July 17, 2005.
Category 4 hurricanes are tropical cyclones that reach Category 4 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. Category 4 hurricanes that later attained Category 5 strength are not included in this list. The Atlantic basin includes the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Category 4 is the second-highest hurricane classification category on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale, and storms that are of this intensity maintain maximum sustained winds of 113–136 knots (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h). Based on the Atlantic hurricane database, 94 hurricanes have attained Category 4 hurricane status since 1851, the start of modern meteorological record keeping. Category 4 storms are considered extreme hurricanes. Hurricane Ike, which was a Category 4 storm, brought on a 24 ft storm surge, the third greatest storm surge ever recorded (after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Camille, respectively).
Climatologically speaking, approximately 97 percent of tropical cyclones that form in the North Atlantic develop between the dates of June 1 and November 30 – dates which delimit the modern-day Atlantic hurricane season. Though the beginning of the annual hurricane season has historically remained the same, the official end of the hurricane season has shifted from its initial date of October 31. Regardless, on average once every few years a tropical cyclone develops outside the limits of the season; as of June 2018 there have been 89 tropical cyclones in the off-season, with the most recent being Tropical Storm Alberto in 2018. The first tropical cyclone of the 1938 Atlantic hurricane season, which formed on January 3, became the earliest forming tropical storm and hurricane after reanalysis concluded on the storm in December 2012. Hurricane Able in 1951 was initially thought to be the earliest forming major hurricane – a tropical cyclone with winds exceeding  – however following post-storm analysis it was determined that Able only reached Category 1 strength which made Hurricane Alma of 1966 the new record holder; as it became a major hurricane on June 8. Though it developed within the bounds of the Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricane Audrey in 1957 was the earliest developing Category 4 hurricane on record after it reached the intensity on June 27. However, reanalysis from 1956 to 1960 by NOAA downgraded Audrey to a Category 3, making Hurricane Dennis of 2005 the earliest Category 4 on record on July 8, 2005. The earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane, Emily, reached the highest intensity on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale on July 17, 2005.
In Mexico, 16 people were killed, due to heavy rains and mudslides triggered by Vicente.
On October 14, the NHC began monitoring an Atlantic tropical wave that had developed an area of low pressure in the southwestern Caribbean Sea. On the next day, the system became better organized southeast of the Yucatán Peninsula, and the storm encountered more favorable conditions as it neared land; a Hurricane Hunter aircraft was scheduled to survey the system for further development. However, organization was hindered as the system quickly made landfall in Belize on the next day. Early on October 17, the tropical wave moved into the East Pacific and quickly organized; however, the system failed to coalesce into a tropical cyclone and became increasingly disorganized on the next day. Early on October 19, a new low-pressure trough developed to the east of the original low, which organized into Tropical Storm Vicente later that day. The original low to the west gradually organized while moving westward, and early on October 20, the system developed into Tropical Depression Twenty-Four-E while situated off the coast of southwestern Mexico. Several hours later, the system strengthened into a tropical storm and was given the name "Willa". Early on October 21, Willa underwent rapid intensification and became a Category 1 hurricane. Further rapid intensification ensued and Willa became a Category 3 hurricane at 21:00 UTC, just twelve hours after reaching hurricane status, becoming the tenth major hurricane of the season. Soon afterward, at 22:30 UTC, Willa intensified further into a Category 4 hurricane, becoming the ninth of the year in the East Pacific. At 15:00 UTC on October 22, Willa reached its peak intensity as the third Category 5 hurricane of the year. Afterward, Willa began to weaken, due to the commencement of an eyewall replacement cycle, weakening to a high-end Category 4 hurricane six hours later. Willa encountered wind shear and weakened further into a Category 3 hurricane by the next day, before making landfall at Category 3 intensity at 1:00 UTC on October 24 (7:00 pm on October 23, local time), in Sinaloa, southwestern Mexico. Following landfall, Willa rapidly weakened, dissipating on October 24 over northeastern Mexico.
After becoming a hurricane, Rick began to intensify more rapidly. About 30 hours after becoming a hurricane, Rick attained Category 2 status on the present-day Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS). By 1200 UTC on September 8, Rick reached Category 3 status. Early the next day, the EPHC re-assessed the intensity of Rick to 140 mph (225 km/h), making Rick a Category 4 hurricane while developing a large and well-defined eye. Six hours later, the storm's forecast responsibility was handed over to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC). Around that time, Rick reached its peak intensity of 145 mph (230 km/h), with gusts up to 170 mph (275 km/h). At peak, one newspaper described Rick as "one of the strongest and best developed [hurricanes] on record". Moreover, Hurricane Rick was, at that time, the second intense hurricane on record in the CPHC's area of responsibility; only Hurricane Patsy during the 1959 Pacific hurricane season exceeded Rick in intensity. Since then, however, many storms have suppressed Rick in terms of both wind speed and pressure.
, a reanalysis of weather data was ongoing by researchers who may upgrade or downgrade other Atlantic hurricanes currently listed at Categories 4 and 5. For example, the 1825 Santa Ana hurricane is suspected to have reached Category 5 strength. Furthermore, paleotempestological research aims to identify past major hurricanes by comparing sedimentary evidence of recent and past hurricane strikes. For example, a "giant hurricane" significantly more powerful than Hurricane Hattie (Category 5) has been identified in Belizean sediment, having struck the region sometime before 1500.
Officially, the decade with the most Category 5 hurricanes is 2000–2009, with eight Category 5 hurricanes having occurred: Isabel (2003), Ivan (2004), Emily (2005), Katrina (2005), Rita (2005), Wilma (2005), Dean (2007), and Felix (2007).
The previous decades with the most Category 5 hurricanes were the 1930s and 1960s, with six occurring between 1930 and 1939 (before naming began).
By August 30, strong outflow developed around Luis despite convection remaining displaced from the low pressure center. Once the shear began to relent, shower and thunderstorm activity redeveloped around the center, allowing the storm to intensify. Around 1800 UTC that day, Luis attained Category 1 hurricane status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale; however, operationally Luis was not upgraded to a hurricane until 0900 UTC on August 31. The newly upgraded hurricane steadily intensified as banding features developed around the periphery of the cyclone. By the morning of August 31, cold cloud tops surrounded a developing eye. Around this time, Luis was located due south of the area of high pressure and tracking steadily towards the west-northwest. Further development resulted in the appearance of a ragged eye appearing on visible satellite images. Winds within the eyewall were estimated at 100 mph (155 km/h), making Luis a low-end Category 2 hurricane. Later that day, the storm became increasingly organized, with a symmetrical structure and a well-defined center. The NHC forecast the hurricane to peak as a Category 3 hurricane in 36 hours before interacting with Hurricane Iris and Tropical Storm Karen.
Several hours later, Celia was upgraded into a hurricane based on intensity estimates via Dvorak Technique. Celia's rate of intensification accelerated and thus underwent a period of rapid deepening. Overnight, the storm developed an excellent upper-level outflow and very cold cloud tops. Late on June 25, an eye appeared, and the NHC classified the storm as a strong Category 1 hurricane. By midday June 26, Celia intensified into a Category 2 hurricane A well-defined eye soon developed, and the storm was upgraded into a Category 3 hurricane later that day. Early on June 27, Celia became a Category 4 major hurricane with winds of 145 mph (230 km/h) and a minimal pressure of . Celia maintained Category 4 intensity for about 24 hours and then started to gradually weaken.
On early July 31, a tropical wave developed into a tropical depression in the eastern Pacific a few hundred miles south of Mexico. Meteorologists numbered it "Five-E". It was upgraded to Tropical Storm Eugene only 6 hours after becoming a tropical depression. On the afternoon of August 1, Eugene strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. The next day Eugene further strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. Early on August 3 Eugene further strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane, making it the third major hurricane of the season. Eugene was expected to weaken after becoming a Category 3. However, on the afternoon of August 3, Eugene strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale with winds up to 140 mph (220 km/h). Eugene only maintained Category 4 status briefly, and only six hours later, the hurricane weakened to a Category 3 with winds up to 125 mph (200 km/h). Eugene quickly weakened on August 5 because of unfavorable conditions, dropping from Category 2 status to tropical storm status in only 18 hours. On August 6, Eugene became a post-tropical low as the center of the storm was void of strong convection. During the next few days, Eugene's remnants continued to move westward slowly, while weakening gradually. On August 10, the remnants of Hurricane Eugene dissipated roughly 980 mi (1,555 km) east of Hawaii.
Upon becoming a hurricane, thunderstorm activity began to develop around an eye. Favio turned west-northwest, traversing the Mozambique Channel while beginning to deepen. At 0000 UTC February 20, the JTWC declared that Favio had intensified into a Category 2 hurricane-equivalent on the SSHWS. Several hours later, Favio was then upgraded into an intense tropical cyclone by MFR as the system developed a very small eye. Simultaneously, Cyclone Favio was upgraded into a Category 3 hurricane on the SSHWS via the JTWC. During the afternoon hours of February 20, the JTWC reported that Favio had developed winds equivalent to Category 4 intensity. That evening, MFR noted that Cyclone Favio had peaked in intensity, with winds of , becoming the most intense tropical cyclone south of the 25th parallel over the Mozambique Channel since the satellite era began. Six hours later, the JTWC announced that Favio had peaked in intensity, with winds. This made Favio equal to a mid-level Category 4 hurricane. At the time of its peak, Favio had developed a well-defined eye.
A tropical storm developed east of Trinidad and Tobago on August 12, and began moving northwestward. Originally it was thought the storm became a Category 1 hurricane the next day but re-analysis now shows it remained as a tropical storm until August 14. On the evening of August 15 it reached the island of Hispaniola. After crossing the south of that island as a Category 1 hurricane, it struck southeastern Cuba on August 16 as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm briefly weakened over land and entered the Gulf of Mexico near Matanzas on August 18 as a Category 1 storm. As the hurricane crossed the Gulf of Mexico it strengthened further, first to a Category 2 then to a Category 3 cyclone. As it approached the coast of Texas, it intensified to a 150 mph (240 km/h) Category 4 hurricane. At the time, it was tied for the strongest hurricane ever recorded (the first reported, and confirmed, Category 5 hurricane would be in 1924). On August 19, winds increased in Indianola, and, on August 20, it made landfall as a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane. Pressure at landfall is estimated to be 925 mbar, which would make it the sixth strongest hurricane known to have hit the United States, and by winds, it is tied for the fifth most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland. The hurricane moved inland and eventually dissipated on August 21 in northeast Texas.
Though the official end of the Atlantic hurricane season occurs on November 30, the dates of October 31 and November 15 have also historically marked the official end date for the hurricane season. December, the only month of the year after the hurricane season, has featured the cyclogenesis of fourteen tropical cyclones. Tropical Storm Zeta in 2005 was the latest tropical cyclone to attain tropical storm intensity as it did so on December 30. However, the second Hurricane Alice in 1954 was the latest forming tropical cyclone to attain hurricane intensity. Both Zeta and Alice were the only two storms to exist in two calendar years – the former from 1954 to 1955 and the latter from 2005 to 2006. No storms have been recorded to exceed Category 1 hurricane intensity in December. In 1999, Hurricane Lenny reached Category 4 intensity on November 17 as it took an unprecedented west to east track across the Caribbean; its intensity made it the latest developing Category 4 hurricane, though this was well within the bounds of the hurricane season. Hurricane Hattie (October 27-November 1, 1961) was initially thought to have been the latest forming Category 5 hurricane ever documented, though reanalysis indicated that a devastating hurricane in 1932 reached such an intensity at a later date. Consequently, this made the hurricane the latest developing tropical cyclone to reach all four Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale classifications past Category 1 intensity.
The eyes of 12 hurricanes have passed through the county at hurricane strength in recorded history, including Hurricane Irma (2017, category 1), Hurricane Jeanne (2004, category 1), Hurricane Charley (2004, category 2), Hurricane Donna (1960, category 2), Hurricane King (1950, category 1), the 1949 Florida hurricane (category 2), the 1945 Homestead hurricane (category 1), the 1933 Treasure Coast hurricane (category 1), the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane (category 2), Hurricane Four of the 1894 season (category 1), and Hurricane Three of the 1871 season, and Hurricane Eight of the 1859 season (category 1). Additionally, four storms were downgraded from hurricane strength at a location outside the county to tropical storm force at some point within the county and, given the hours between National Hurricane Center updates (modern era) or earlier estimates, it is not clear whether these brought hurricane-force sustained winds to Polk County: Hurricane Frances (2004), Hurricane Erin (1995) Hurricane Two of the 1939 season, and the 1910 Cuba hurricane (category 1). Numerous tropical storms have passed through the county.
Only one tropical storm developed in June. In July, six named storms formed. Out of these storms, Hilary was the only storm to reach major hurricane status. The month of August had a total of five named storms, four of which became hurricanes. However, August did not feature any major hurricanes, though Hurricane Jova came close, peaking as a moderate Category 2. The month of September held the same number of named storms as August, with five named storms. The month also was the carrier of the strongest hurricane on record at that time (that had its intensity estimated from satellite imagery), Hurricane Max, a strong Category 4 hurricane. Hurricane Norma was a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, which dissipated to the south of the Baja California Peninsula. The month of October featured only two tropical cyclones. The first system, Ramon, was a Category 4 hurricane.
Hurricane Jimena was the second-strongest hurricane of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season, and tied with Hurricane Norbert as the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall on western portion of the Baja California Peninsula. Forming from a tropical wave late on August 28, 2009, off of Mexico's Pacific coast, the system rapidly intensified into a Category 2 hurricane on the next day. Two days after developing, Jimena strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane. After peaking close to Category 5 intensity on September 1, it encountered cold water and began to weaken. When the hurricane made landfall on the Baja California Peninsula on September 3, it was only a Category 2 hurricane. On the next day, the tropical cyclone entered the Gulf of California, though the storm weakened into a remnant low after looping back eastward towards Baja California. The storm's remnants drifted westward into the Pacific afterward, before dissipating on September 8.
A tropical depression developed well east of the Lesser Antilles on August 29. Initially drifting westward, the storm gradually intensified and became a tropical storm early the next day. By August 31, the system strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane. The next day, the hurricane entered the Caribbean Sea, passing the island of Dominica as a Category 2 hurricane. Continuing to intensify, the storm further intensified into a Category 3 hurricane on September 2 and then to a Category 4 the following day. Around 18:00 UTC on September 3, the hurricane peaked with winds of 155 mph (250 km/h), observed by a ship. Simultaneously, the storm made landfall near Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.