While many residents of the Tampa Bay area have heard about waterspouts and tornadoes forming during and around a hurricane, most of us tend to think of tornadoes as separate weather events. In other words, homeowners frequently assume that tornadoes can form when certain types of thunderstorms occur, but we do not always consider the risks of tornado damage when preparing for a devastating hurricane. As many Tampa residents know, Hurricane Irma recently made its way near the Tampa-St. Petersburg area as a Category 1 hurricane, according to an article in Business Insider. Yet while West Central Florida homeowners were preparing for high winds and flooding associated with the hurricane, many Floridians also learned that they were under tornado watches and warnings.
When are hurricanes more likely to produce tornadoes that can cause damage to homes and other structures? And what can Floridians do to prepare for this kind of tornado damage?
Tornado Watches Accompanied Hurricane Irma Throughout Much of Florida
According to a recent report from CNN News, when Hurricane Irma made landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida earlier this month, it also produced tornado watches throughout much of the state (and even into Georgia). As the report highlights, “Hurricane Irma wasn’t the only vortex that the southeastern US had to worry about,” given that the “cyclone spawned tornadoes in parts of Florida in the morning and afternoon” as it made landfall. The production of tornadoes during a hurricane is “typical of hurricanes that get enough of their circulation over land.”
Initially, Hurricane Irma was not supposed to remain over land throughout West Central Florida. While the hurricane’s track shifted significantly in the days before it made landfall in Florida, forecasters initially expected the storm to skirt the Gulf Coast as it traveled in a northerly direction. Instead, the hurricane took a somewhat easterly turn after striking the Florida Keys, and it ended up moving largely over land as it traveled north in the state of Florida.
Getting the Facts About Hurricanes that Produce Tornadoes
Most of the tornadoes produced by Hurricane Irma were “well away from the hurricane’s core, and in the storm’s front-right quadrant,” which “is typical for cyclone-produced tornadoes.” What else do you need to know about tornadoes produced by hurricanes? Here are some key facts from the CNN News report:
● Hurricanes that strike land are more likely to produce tornadoes than hurricanes that remain over water;
● Tornadoes that are produced by hurricanes most often occur in the front-right quadrant of the hurricane;
● Most tornadoes produced by hurricanes occur well away from the eye of the storm, posing a risk to homeowners who may not be expecting the worst of the winds associated with the hurricane itself; and
● Hurricane-produced tornadoes spawn very quickly and often with very little warning.
Contact a Tornado Damage Lawyer in Tampa Bay
While homeowners in the Tampa Bay area were spared much of Hurricane Irma’s worst damage, many homes nonetheless sustained damage, and properties throughout the state experienced tornado damage as well as damage from the hurricane force winds. If you have questions about filing a tornado damage claim or need more information about how a tornado damage claim might arise under your Homeowner’s insurance, a Tampa tornado damage attorney can speak with you today. Contact the Valrico Law Group to have your questions answered by an experienced advocate.
http://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-irma-reaches-tampa-bay-extent-of-damage-unknown-2017-9
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/10/us/hurricane-irma-tornadoes-explainer/index.html