The Party That Never Quits

We here in Australia are laid back to a fault, sometimes, I think. We definitely aren't panic merchants. We certainly haven't canceled the barbie recently. America seems to go all Rita Hayworth over even the smallest thing.

Which is why you guys have the best t.v shows and movies. You're dramatic.

Take the cyclone vs. hurricane categories. Cyclones being southern hemisphere, hurricanes the north. 

We are coming up to cyclone season, and the prediction this year is that we are likely to get a few more than past years, and earlier than normal.  So, I thought I'd share this little comparison thing I found years and years ago.  The wind speeds are close, with ours tending to be a little higher after category 2. Apparently, they're just a good wind storm... nothing to get too excited about. The description of damage up to category 3 pretty much identical. But check out what happens when 4 and 5 pop up....

Category 1 Cyclone: Strongest gust less than 77.67 miles per hour. Negligible house damage. Damage to some crops, trees and caravans. Craft may drag moorings.
Category 1 Hurricane: Winds of 74-95 miles per hour. Minimal damage, primarily to foliage, unanchored mobile homes and poorly constructed signs.

Category 2 Cyclone: Strongest gust 77.67-105.63 miles per hour. Minor house damage. Significant damage to signs, trees and caravans. Heavy damage to some crops. Risk of power failure. Small craft may break moorings.
Category 2 Hurricane: Winds of 96-110 miles per hour. Damage moderate, mobile homes heavily damaged, some damage to roofs and windows of homes.

Category 3 Cyclone: Strongest gust 105.63-139.8 miles per hour. Some roof and structural damage. Some caravans destroyed. Power failure likely.
Category 3 Hurricane: Winds of 111-130 miles per hour. Damage moderate, mobile homes heavily damaged, some damage to roofs and windows of homes.

Category 4 Cyclone: Strongest gust 139.8-173.98 miles per hour. Significant roofing loss and structural damage. Many caravans destroyed and blown away. Dangerous airborne debris. Widespread power failure.
Category 4 Hurricane: winds of 131-155 miles per hour. Damage extreme, homes heavily damaged, complete destruction to mobile homes and large trees uprooted.

Category 5 Cyclone: Gusts more than 173.8 miles per hour. Extremely dangerous with widespread destruction.
Category 5 Hurricane: Winds greater than 155 miles per hour. Damage catastrophic, small buildings blown away or overturned. Few trees left at all.

It's the catastrophic damage v extremely dangerous that gets me.

Oh, and the "few trees left at all."

At. ALL, people.

*ahem*

It could just be my dramatic flair, but this tickles me.


*please note I cannot remember or find where I found this years ago. Despite trying to find the link, I have been unable... if you come across it, please let me know, so I can give due credit.