After Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, we read reports of over 30 tornadoes forming in its wake, raising the question: why does this happen? Tornadoes are often produced in the outer rainbands of hurricanes due to the interaction between the storm’s strong winds and friction as it moves over land. This friction creates instability, which can trigger tornado formation, especially in the right-front quadrant of the hurricane.
Why do hurricanes and tornadoes go hand in hand?
Hurricanes and tornadoes are two of nature’s most powerful storms, yet they operate on different scales and dynamics. Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over warm ocean waters, often spanning hundreds of miles. They bring widespread destruction through high winds, heavy rain, and storm surges. Within hurricanes, tornadoes can form, typically in the outer rainbands. Tornadoes are much smaller in scale but can be more intense, with winds reaching over 300 mph, causing localized but severe damage.
How do tornadoes and hurricanes form?
- Hurricanes: Form over warm ocean waters, fueled by heat and moisture. They grow as they gather energy from the ocean, and their destructive power lies in their size and longevity, causing flooding, wind damage, and storm surges.
- Tornadoes: Can form within hurricanes, but typically occur in severe thunderstorms over land. Unlike hurricanes, tornadoes form in minutes, often in supercell storms, and dissipate quickly after causing localized damage.
How does a hurricane produce a tornado?
When a hurricane makes landfall, it can produce multiple tornadoes, particularly in the right-front quadrant of the storm, where the strongest winds and atmospheric instability reside. While hurricanes cover a larger area, tornadoes embedded within them can add to the destruction, intensifying the damage in specific regions. This phenomenon occurs as hurricanes disrupt air patterns over land, allowing smaller but more intense twisters to form.
How to manage your risk?
Managing the risk from hurricanes and tornadoes requires different approaches. Hurricanes provide some warning due to their size and slow movement, giving people time to evacuate. Tornadoes, however, form rapidly and can be harder to predict, often leaving just minutes for residents to seek shelter. Understanding the link between these storms is crucial for improving warning systems and minimizing damage. We wrote a comprehensive report to mitigate and manage your home's risk from hurricanes and tornadoes for our readers in hurricane territory: Storm and Hurricane Mitigation Guide for Homeowners / ClimateCheck
As climate change intensifies storm systems, the frequency of hurricanes and associated tornadoes may increase, making preparedness even more critical for vulnerable regions. We explored the potential connection between climate change and tornadoes in an earlier blog post: Are Tornadoes Connected to Climate Change? / ClimateCheck.
Be sure to order one of our free reports for your home to explore your current and future risk of extreme storms and winds by going to https://climatecheck.com and typing in your address.