Inland Flooding and Tornadoes from Tropical Weather

Flooding from tropical cyclones depends on the speed at which the storm is moving. Heavy, torrential rains can occur hundreds of miles away from the storm, even if it does not make landfall. Even after the winds have subsided, the flooding potential from storms can remain for several days. Nearly 60% of the deaths due to hurricane flooding have been from drownings related to inland heavy rain events.

While tornadoes formed in tropical systems are not as intense as those associated with non-tropical thunderstorms, they can move fairly fast (speeds over 50 mph) and are sometimes accompanied by hail and lightning. Tornadoes usually form in the top right quadrant of the storm, but can also form in the far outer rainbands of tropical cyclones, which can be hundreds of miles away from the center.