When hurricanes come ashore, they cause massive waves, spawn tornadoes, and produce heavy rains and floods. There is a scale that measures the severity of a hurricane. This scale is called the Saffir-Simpson Scale. This scale categorizes hurricanes by their wind speed and the amount of damage they inflict. There are five different categories for hurricanes from category 1 to category 5. Category 1 hurricanes cause a small amount of damage and category 5 hurricanes cause catastrophic damage. The most violent activity takes place in what is called the eyewall. This section is located just outside of the eye of the hurricane. Hurricanes are a fascinating topic!