Brandon L. Toliver, The George Washington University, USA

Imagine a hurricane forecast that truly reflects the danger you face, extending beyond just wind speed. While the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) has long guided our understanding of hurricane strength, its reliance solely on wind speed presents an incomplete and often misleading picture. This neglect leads to critical gaps in our assessment of hurricane impacts, particularly concerning storm surge, flooding, and storm size. In response to these limitations, this research introduces the Composite Hurricane Impact Scale (CHIS), a novel framework that integrates wind speed with storm surge potential, rainfall-induced flooding, and storm size, providing a holistic view of a hurricane's potential destruction. Through compelling case studies evaluating historical storms, this paper demonstrates how CHIS enhances our ability to predict, prepare for, and mitigate the multifaceted impacts of hurricanes. By analyzing historical storms, this research highlights CHIS's superior predictive capability and its potential to revolutionize emergency response, improve public awareness, and foster more resilient communities. Ultimately, CHIS empowers communities with the actionable information needed for better preparedness, more effective emergency response, and safer futures in the face of increasingly complex and intense hurricanes. This comprehensive assessment signifies a critical step toward building a society better equipped to confront the mounting challenges posed by powerful storms, ultimately saving lives and protecting communities.

Hurricane categorization, computing, Saffir-Simpson, disaster preparedness, CHIS model.