The 5 Categories of Hurricanes Jan 5, 2022 Whether or not you’ve personally experienced a hurricane, you have probably heard them classified as Category 1, 2, and so on. Hurricanes are classified according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale and are given a rating between 1 and 5 depending on wind speed. At their worst, Category 4 and 5 hurricanes can level entire cities. Even ...