IKE - Integrated Kinetic Energy

I find it to be almost spooky that a new system of rating the strength of hurricanes has the acronym "IKE" Integrated Kinetic Energy, Dr. Mark Powells measuring system. When you read the Wunderground's Jeff Masters blog about Hurricane Ike, this system that measures the energy of the storm beyond just the wind speed would have been a better predictor of the damage that was likely from Hurricane Ike. Under the Category 1-5 Saffir-Simpson Scale, Hurricane Ike was only a strong Category 2, but the damage was much worse than a "normal" Category 2 storm would produce. Plus the damage area is much larger geographically than a "normal" Category 2 storm.

The weather forecasters issued good warnings about what this storm could do. But I bet that this new "IKE" system will gain popularity for more reasons than one after the passage of Hurricane Ike.