ORLANDO, Fla. – As Hurricane Milton continues its approach toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, many in the state have been wondering: could the storm reach “Category 6?”
The short answer is: no. No, it cannot.
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While Milton reached wind speeds of 180 mph on Monday — making it a Category 5 hurricane — the reason it can’t go any higher is because “Category 6″ isn’t a real term.
A video went viral on TikTok last year claiming that a Category 6 hurricane would strike Florida and the Carolinas on Labor Day of 2023, stoking fears about a new kind of hurricane. The video received nearly 2 million views, and it accused meteorologists of not talking about the storm.
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It’s true that meteorologists weren’t talking about it, but that’s because it didn’t exist.
There’s no such thing as a Category 6 hurricane. The Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale rates hurricanes from 1 - 5, with Category 5 being the most extreme. This scale is based on sustained wind speed alone.
But once a hurricane reaches wind speeds of 157 mph, it simply becomes a Category 5 storm. There is no upper limit to what constitutes a Category 5 hurricane, so there is no designation for “Category 6.”
Milton is expected to slow down to a Category 3 storm by the time it makes landfall in Florida. And it’s forecast to regress further to Category 2 as it makes its way toward the Orlando area.
However, that’s not necessarily cause for celebration. A Category 2 storm is still incredibly dangerous, and Milton could be the first Category 2 hurricane on record to ever push through Orlando.
[READ: Here is why Milton is forecast to drop below Category 5 intensity]
According to weather experts, a Category 1 hurricane can cause heavy damage to shrubbery, knock down trees, toss over weak structures, and wreck unanchored mobile homes.
This type of hurricane can also cause storm surge to rise 4-5 feet above normal levels, leaving tons of flooding in low-lying areas and streets.
But despite how it may sound, a Category 2 hurricane wouldn’t necessarily be twice as destructive as a Category 1 storm.
Instead, the potential damage increase could actually reach upward of 20 times as much, the NOAA reports.
“Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks. (Hurricane) Frances of 2004 was a Category 2 when it hit just north of Palm Beach County, along with at least 10 other hurricanes which have struck South Florida since 1894.”
National Weather Service
Ahead of Milton’s landfall, an evacuation order has already gone out in Volusia County, and Flagler County is expected to issue a similar one for Wednesday.
For more information on whether you’re in an evacuation zone, click here.
For a full list of emergency shelters in Central Florida, click here.