Associated Hazards

Tropical Cyclones & Hurricanes bring many other hazards with them. It is important to note that the associated hazards can reach far beyond the track of the storm. These hazards include:

Inland Flooding: Excessive rains are responsible for the flooding of inland areas. A hurricane's rain bands can dump up to several inches of rain per hour, especially if a storm is slow-moving. When rainfall accumulates in a short time there is the possibility to overwhelm rivers and low-lying areas, and when experienced for several consecutive hours or days, leads to flash a​nd urban flooding.

Tropical cyclones of all intensities can produce excessive rains along the coast and far inland. Freshwater flooding is considered the most wide-reaching of all tropical cyclone related dangers. Click on FLOODING for more information.

Sustained Winds: A hurricane's winds are among the first conditions to be felt during its approach. Tropical-cyclone-force winds can extend as far as 300 miles, and hurricane-force-winds, 25-150 miles from the storm center. Sustained winds pack enough force to cause structural damage and carry loose debris airborne.

If you would like to see an animation that illustrates the wind damage associated with increasing hurricane intensity, click on this link which will take you to the National Hurricane Center website. 

Tornadoes: Almost all tropical cyclones making landfall in the United States spawn at least one tornado, provided enough of the system moves over land. The right-front quadrant of the storm is the strongest part and is most likely to produce tornadoes. Tropical cyclones may spawn tornadoes from a day or two before landfall to up to three days after landfall.

Statistics show that most of the tornadoes occur on the day of landfall, or the next day. The most likely time for tropical cyclone tornadoes is during daylight hours, although they can occur during the night, too.