Hurricane Preparedness - Winds & Tornadoes

Updated: June 2024

High Winds from Hurricanes

We continue our coverage of the 2024 Hurricane Preparedness Week by looking at two more of the hurricane hazards.  In particular, we'll look at High Wind and Tornadoes.

 

Looking for past or current hurricanes?  Click Image or Here

Cat.	Speed (mph)
1	74-95
2	96-110
3	111-129
4	130-156
5	>157

The intensity of a landfalling hurricane is expressed in terms of categories that relate wind speeds and potential damage. According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, a Category 1 hurricane has lighter winds compared to storms in higher categories. A Category 4 hurricane would have winds between 131 and 155 mph and, on the average, would usually be expected to cause 100 times the damage of the Category 1 storm.

Depending on circumstances, less intense storms may still be strong enough to produce damage, particularly in areas that have not prepared in advance.  A summary chart is shown here. More details were covered in 2024 Hurricanes - How They Work.

RELATED INFORMATION

• HIGH WIND SAFETY ACTIONS
• SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE (updated  2012)
• HURRICANE WIND DECAY
• HISTORIC HIGH WIND EVENTS

Tornadoes 

A tornado is a dark funnel-shaped cloud made up of violently rotating winds that can reach speeds of up to 300 m.p.h. The diameter of a tornado can vary between a few feet and a mile, and its track can extend from less than a mile to several hundred miles. Tornadoes can occur any time, with many occurring in spring or early summer.

Hurricanes can also produce tornadoes that add to the storm's destructive power. Tornadoes are most likely to occur in the right-front quadrant of the hurricane. However, they are also often found elsewhere embedded in the rainbands, well away from the center of the hurricane.

Tornado Facts

• When associated with hurricanes, tornadoes are not usually accompanied by hail or a lot of lightning, clues that citizens in other parts of the country watch for.
• Tornado production can occur for days after landfall when the tropical cyclone remnants maintain an identifiable low pressure circulation.
• They can also develop at any time of the day or night during landfall. However, by 12 hours after landfall, tornadoes tend to occur mainly during daytime hours.

The Fujita Scale

F-Scale Number	Intensity Phrase	Wind Speed	Type of Damage Done
F0	Gale tornado	40-72 mph	Some damage to chimneys; breaks branches off trees; pushes over shallow-rooted trees; damages sign boards.
F1	Moderate tornado	73-112 mph	The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads; attached garages may be destroyed.
F2	Significant tornado	113-157 mph	Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light object missiles generated.
F3	Severe tornado	158-206 mph	Roof and some walls torn off well constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in fores uprooted
F4	Devastating tornado	207-260 mph	Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown off some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5	Incredible tornado	261-318 mph	Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; trees debarked; steel re-inforced concrete structures badly damaged.
F6	Inconceivable tornado	319-379 mph	These winds are very unlikely. The small area of damage they might produce would probably not be recognizable along with the mess produced by F4 and F5 wind that would surround the F6 winds. Missiles, such as cars and refrigerators would do serious secondary damage that could not be directly identified as F6 damage. If this level is ever achieved, evidence for it might only be found in some manner of ground swirl pattern, for it may never be identifiable through engineering studies

Read entire series (click here)

More links and information about tropical storms and other weather conditions can be found in the Weather & Hurricane Zone tabs above.


If you live in, or plan to vacation in, an area where hurricanes are prevalent, please prepare in advance by reading our series.

Connect With Us On

    

    

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Hurricanes: Perception vs Reality

Storm surge inundation (feet above ground level) based on Irma’s
actual track versus forecasted track. The wiggle to the east
spared the coastline from Naples northward to the
Cape Coral area from storm surge inundation
 greater than 9 feet above ground level. Image Credit: NOAA

• NHC issuing advisories for the Atlantic on TS Florence, TD Eight and TD Nine
• NHC issuing advisories for the Eastern Pacific on Hurricane Olivia
• WPC is issuing advisories on Gordon
• CPHC issuing advisories for the Central Pacific on Norman

There are a couple times each year that a fair amount of our Blog articles are focused on tropical storms and hurricanes.   Before the start of the Hurricane Season, we devote a series of articles to the education on Hurricane Preparedness.   This year's series can be found here: Hurricane Preparedness Week 2018.  The next concentration of articles occurs when the season gets into full swing, which normally happens September through late October.   Both the Atlantic and Pacific basins are active at the present time.

Hurricane Gordon made landfall with only minor impact on cruise itineraries.  It did however dump heavy rain on the Gulf Coast region.  Several storms of varying intensity are currently making their way westward in the Atlantic Ocean.   TS Florence is predicted to regain strength and become a major hurricane again before engaging with the East Coast of the United States.

While checking out the current storms on the NHC, we noticed the following article: NOAA NWS: Hurricanes: Common Misperceptions.   The graphic above was taken from that article.

Past Experience - Current Behavior

Although the science of hurricane / tropical storm tracking and predictions has significantly improved over the years, there is always a degree of uncertainty as the graphic demonstrates.   Just a small shift in the trajectory of a storm can alter which area is at risk. 

The article talks about how based on your experiences in the past hurricane season, you may make some decisions about hurricane preparation which could become a huge mistake.   Just because you've never flooded before for example, doesn't mean that you can't this year.   Perhaps you survived a Category 4 hurricane last year so you think you can survive again.  You need to ask yourself if you felt the full furry of that storm or if you were perhaps on the outer reaches and really only had winds that were tropical storm or Category 1 strength.   Don't risk it - please heed all advisories.

It's easy to get a false sense of security about storms or other natural disasters.  We had a personal experience where my husband was in Los Angeles on a business trip when a major earthquake struck the region.  My son and I still came out for the weekend and we all vacationed in Disneyland.  One of the aftershocks woke us, and my husband remarked "Go back to sleep, it's only an earthquake."  He said this because it wasn't as severe as the original shaking he had a couple days before, so he figured it couldn't be bad.  In hindsight, we should never have gone to the park.  Fortunately everything worked out just fine.  The article has additional examples of misconceptions.

Click Here to Learn More

Now is the Time To Have a Plan  

Don't wait for the NHC to issue a warning for your area.  Review our preparedness series and make plans for evacuation, safe keeping of your house, family, pets, and belongings.

If you are traveling to an area where tropical weather is forecast, be sure to keep close tabs on the updates.  We aren't necessarily saying you need to change your vacation plans, but be aware that you may need to alter your arrival / departure plans.  Click on the image to the left for some additional tips.

...FLORENCE POISED TO STRENGTHEN... ...THIS WEEKEND IS A GOOD TIME FOR INTERESTS ALONG THE U.S. EAST COAST TO REVIEW THEIR HURRICANE PLAN...

Follow Us On

       

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

2018 National Safe Boating Week

Life Jackets Save Lives

http://www.safeboatingcampaign.com/

click logo to read our related article

Announcements on NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards

2018 Safe Boating Week : May 19 - 25
Sat.	Sun.	Mon.	Tue.	Wed.	Thu.	Fri.
Life Jackets	Fire Extinguishers	Boating Under the Influence	Distress Beacons	Thunderstorm Safety	Hurricane Preparedness	MarineForecast

Approximately 500 people drown each year from recreational boating accidents, so we've teamed up with NOAA and the National Safe Boating Council to remind you to  "Wear It!"  when you are on the water.   Here are some links for you to learn additional information about boating safety.


        May 19 - 25, 2018

Click on Infographic to enlarge - daily messages will also be posted on our Facebook & Twitter feeds.

North America Safe Boating Campaign	Ready Set Wear It
NWS National Safe Boating Week	National Safe Boating Council
USCG Boating Safety Resource Center	USCG Boat Rental Safety

More links and information about safe boating can be found on National Safe Boating Counsel
website.

Connect With Us On

    
    

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us every Wednesday afternoon at 4 PM Eastern for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat

Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day 2018

Life Jackets Save Lives

http://www.safeboatingcampaign.com/

May 18th is Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day

Ready, Set, Wear It - Post Your Pics on our Facebook Page

Safety is a primary concern in the cruise industry.  One of the first things you'll do once you are onboard the ship is a mandatory safety drill which includes locating your life jackets and proceeding to a muster station for further instructions.

When you put your life jacket back away in your stateroom, that doesn't mean you forget about safety for the rest of the cruise.   Instead, that is the start of paying attention to safety.    You may participate in some shore excursions that include water sports, sailing on small boats, etc.    Be sure to wear your life jacket during these excursions.

We thought it would be fun to post some of your pictures in life jacket attire, so we've started a Safe  Boating Photo Album on Facebook that you can add your pics to.  Even if you don't send us one of your pics, check out the photos that are posted. You can also share your pics via Twitter.

National Safe Boating Week:   
May 19-25, 2018

Follow Us On

        

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers