Hi Y'all.. Anyone know something about hurricanes?

Hi.. where I live we used to get winds of 80 to 120 Miles per hour, all the time through winter..
I can't tell you how many winteres the power was out for days and days.. we call them "High Gales"..but in the southern USA states, they call them "tropical storms, when they're 30 to 50 MPH, and "hurricanes when they're 80 MPH or higher (I'm not sure of the number).. is there a difference somehow in the storms? I know I saw clips of Katrina on video, and watching it pull roofs off at it's worst it was something fierce, but these were winds of 200 MPH.. At the worst with our high gales a bunch of houses get ruined, and all the trees are knocked over.. Is there a difference inb the way they blow, or something?..
 We used to LOVE tying ourselves to a tree, and watching the waves come over the seawall, when I lived in victoria..
 We have cold water though, not like the gulf..
Any experts out there? what makes a 120 MPH hurricane so more destructive that 120 MPH "high gale"?

Thanks y'all.. Doc