What does it mean when a Category 1 hurricane makes landfall?

A tropical system expected to hit Louisiana this week could bring sustained winds to southern Mississippi, a region that has been spared hurricane-force winds in recent years.

Potential Tropical Cyclone Six, a Gulf of Mexico disturbance with maximum sustained winds of nearly 50 mph, has formed over the warm waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico and is expected to move in our direction.

Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center expect the storm to develop into Tropical Storm Francine during the course of the day and expect “significant intensification on Tuesday and Wednesday.”

The current forecast shows that the storm may make landfall on the Louisiana coast on Wednesday evening. Tropical storm force winds are currently extending outward up to 185 miles from the storm's center. If the current forecast comes to pass, the entire Mississippi coast is expected to feel the storm's effects.

Category 1 effects

HOME: A Category 1 storm has maximum sustained winds between 74 and 95 miles per hour. Although it is the lowest category, a Category 1 storm is still dangerous and can cause damage to roofs, windows, gutters, and siding.

TREES: A Category 1 storm can break off tree limbs and even topple trees. Trees become more vulnerable to uprooting when sustained, heavy rains soak the ground around them.

PERFOMANCE: A Category 1 storm can damage power lines and poles and cause power outages in affected areas.

INCREASE: Coastal buildings, especially those on or near bodies of water, are at risk of flooding from storm surges. The severity of a storm surge depends on a variety of factors, including the timing of the storm's arrival and landfall, tides, barometric pressure, total rainfall, and wind. Storm surges can cause more damage than the storm itself.