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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-hurricane-74-mph

A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its sustained winds reach what speed?

74 mph or faster, sustained, not just a single gust.

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  1. 74 mph or faster ✔
  2. 39 mph or faster
  3. 111 mph or faster

Why: Forecasters call a tropical cyclone a hurricane once its top sustained winds hit 74 mph. Below that, from 39 to 73 mph, it is a tropical storm. 111 mph is where major hurricanes start.

Huh, didn't know that: Sustained wind means the speed held over time, so one strong gust does not make a storm a hurricane.

The dad joke
What did one hurricane say to the other? I have my eye on you.
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References

Answer: 74 mph or faster. Forecasters call a tropical cyclone a hurricane once its top sustained winds hit 74 mph. Below that, from 39 to 73 mph, it is a tropical storm. 111 mph is where major hurricanes start.

  1. NOAA National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Climatology www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo
    Hurricane: A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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