Hurricanes and tropical storms routinely spawn tornadoes — a hazard many people don't see coming, because it strikes away from the worst wind and surge, often with almost no warning.
Where and when they form
Most tropical-system tornadoes occur in the storm's right-front quadrant — to the right of the track, ahead of the center — where the low-level wind shear is strongest. They spin up in the outer rainbands, which means they can hit well away from the center, sometimes a few hundred miles out, and they keep coming for a day or two after landfall as the system moves inland.
Why they're especially dangerous
Tropical tornadoes are usually weaker and shorter-lived than the big Plains tornadoes — most are EF0 or EF1 — but they make up for it in surprise. They form fast and low to the ground, often wrapped in heavy rain so you can't see them, and frequently at night. Lead time is short, and people are already distracted by the hurricane itself. Even a weak tornado, landing on trees and structures already battered by the storm, can be deadly.
How to stay safe
- Keep a way to get warnings that will wake you — a NOAA Weather Radio or Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone — because tornado warnings during a hurricane often come at night with little lead time.
- Know your safe spot: an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows. Have it ready before the storm.
- Take tornado warnings seriously even far from the coast — the tornado threat can outrun the wind and surge well inland.
Bottom line
A landfalling tropical system is also a tornado threat — in the rainbands, to the right of the track, and for a day or more after landfall. Keep a warning source that will wake you, know your safe room, and don't assume you're clear just because you're inland.