Hurricane Hazards
There are a variety of hazards associated with tropical cyclones. While most people recognize the damaging impact of wind, additional hazards can, directly and indirectly, affect them.
This hazard is the one that is most commonly associated with tropical cyclones. The strongest winds are concentrated around the eye of the storm and can reach speeds of over 155 mph. Depending on the storm's size, hurricane-force winds (75 mph and above) can extend up to 100 miles from the center of the storm, and tropical storm-force winds (less than 75 mph) have been observed over 300 miles away.
Image Source: Hurricane Ian | Wikipedia
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Flooding from tropical cyclones is not correlated with the storm's intensity but rather the speed at which the storm is moving. Heavy, torrential rains can occur hundreds of miles away from the storm, meaning a storm does not have to make landfall in a particular area to cause problems from significant rainfall. Even after the winds have subsided, the flooding potential from storms can remain for several days after the initial event. Inland flooding is the most significant risk for those away from the coastline.
Image Source: Hurricane Ian | Wikipedia
Tornadoes produced by tropical cyclones typically form in the right front quadrant of the storm relative to the direction of the storm's forward motion. While these tornadoes are less intense than those associated with non-tropical thunderstorms, they can move relatively fast (speeds over 50 mph) and are rarely accompanied by hail and lightning. While most tornadic storms track from southwest to northeast, tropical tornadoes will move from east/southeast to west/northwest due to the movement of rainbands. Tornadoes can also form in the far outer rainbands of tropical cyclones, hundreds of miles away from the center.
Image Source: Alan Tunnicliffe | BIGSTOCK
The strong winds from tropical cyclones can also be responsible for creating dangerous waves. As these waves break onshore, they can produce rip currents, even if the storm is still far away. Rip currents are channels of water, moving at speeds up to 5 mph, flowing away from the shore. These powerful currents are hazardous because they can pull strong swimmers hundreds of feet away from the coastline, even when the weather at the beach appears calm.