Creator of hurricane category scale dies

? Herbert Saffir, co-creator of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and a persistent advocate of strong building codes, has died. He was 90.

Saffir died of a heart attack Wednesday night at South Miami Hospital, according to his son, Richard.

“He was an absolute leader in the field,” said Miles Lawrence, who retired in 2005 after nearly 40 years as a forecaster at the National Hurricane Center. “He was one of the greats in terms of having an impact on the dialogue about hurricanes.”