Question

Why can category 1 tropical cyclone be more damaging than category 5 tropical cyclone

Answer 1

Hurricanes are rated on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, rated on a scale of 1to 5 - based on a storm’s sustained wind speed.

Category 1 hurricanes are considered the least destructive on the scale. These storms can produce sustained winds of 100 to 150 km per hour. Wind speeds at this velocity are capable of causing damage to small houses. Relatively large tree branches may snap, and some trees can be uprooted and thrown about. As a consequence, there may be power line damage triggering power outages.

Category 2 hurricanes can produce winds from 150 to 170 km per hour, and can cause higher level of damage than the first category.

Category 3 hurricanes are considered “major” storms, with wind speeds reaching 175 to 200 km per hour causing significant damage to property.

Category 4 winds - ranging from 200 to 250 km per hour can cause much more damage than category 3 – irrespective of the level of protection.

Category 5 hurricanes are rare, but the damage caused by these winds is often catastrophic. With wind velocities reaching 250 km per hour or higher, even larger buildings are brought down by this extreme force of nature. Many homes will be destroyed, and major power outages can last many weeks, or months.

Therefore, I do not see how a Category 1 hurricane can be more destructive than a Category 5 on a given area.

However, a Category 1 hurricane over a thickly populated area can do more damage than a Category 5 occurring over a sparsely populated area.

Answer 2

Answer:

Compared to a fast-moving category $5$ storm, a category $1$ cyclone can produce significantly more rain and generate significantly more flooding and landslides. Size is important. The category $1$ may be much larger than the category $5$ and may stay in one place for a lot longer.

Explanation:

They're not typically, although it is possible. The categories only take wind speed into account, although cyclone can differ in other ways as well. Additionally, they differ in terms of overall size, the amount of rain they carry, how swiftly they move, and other aspects.

The wind itself rarely has the biggest role in fatalities during cyclones because most victims drown. Generally speaking, but not usually, a storm that has greater wind is also more powerful in other respects. Another crucial factor is the location of a cyclone's impact.

In fact, a massive, slow-moving, extremely wet cat-$1$ storm that strikes a low-lying location without adequate reaction preparations could cause more damage than a cat-$5$ storm that is small and moves quickly.

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