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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) divides hurricanes into five categories in a warning system. Category 1 hurricanes are small and have winds of 74 to 95 miles per hour. They create 4 to 5-foot-high waves. Category 5 hurricanes, on the other hand, have winds racing over 155 miles per hour, carrying waves higher than 18 feet. These usually cause the most damage.

A hurricane with 150-mile-an-hour winds can put 11 tons of pressure against anything it hits. If a house is poorly built, it can be smashed, torn, or lifted off its foundation. Cars are often swept away in flash floods or blown over by fierce winds. Ocean waves can tower to enormous heights, taking boats and beach houses back to sea.

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