Biggest hurricane impacts by area in Central Florida
As a hurricane approaches the shores of Brevard, Volusia, and Flagler counties the biggest impacts are: Storm surges, tornados, beach erosion and coastal flooding.
Storm surge is the abnormal rise of water along the coast as a storm makes its way onshore.
If a storm surge happens during high tide, the results are even worse.
These powerful waves can easily inundate coastline areas knocking structures right off the foundation. That's what some communities in Brevard County saw when Hurricane Jeanne moved onshore in 2004.
Flooding from storm surges can stretch miles inland, that's why it's so important to know your evacuation zone so you can safely escape before the storm hits.
According to the National Hurricane Center, 49% of almost half the deaths in a hurricane, are from storm surges.
As we move inland, you might think the flooding risks go down. They don't.
A tropical system can slow down once it makes landfall. This allows storms to dump heavy rainfall in a short amount of time causing flash flooding and allowing creeks and rivers to rise.
That's what happened when Tropical Storm Fay moved across central Florida in 2008. Parts of our area saw more than 25 inches of rain from Fay.
Flooding causes more than a quarter of the deaths we see in tropical systems.
Something else you'll find in a hurricane: tornadoes.
This can happen along the coast and inland.
As the storm moves the front right quadrant of the storm is where a twister is most likely to develop.
Even if it's not a tornado, hurricane and tropical storm-force winds can easily spread hundreds of miles from the center of the storm. That's why damaging winds can also be a threat knocking down powerlines and leaving us without power for days and even weeks.
This is why we preach having a hurricane kit and a plan, no matter where you live in Florida.