As Hurricane Milton moves toward southern Florida, a number of tornadoes were reported on Wednesday afternoon.

Although tornadoes may not receive as much attention as the severe winds or dangerous storm surges of hurricanes, they remain a real threat well in advance of a storm making landfall and moving inland.

According to Roger Edwards, a leading forecaster at the Storm Prediction Center specializing in tornadoes, tornadoes can form over 1,000 miles away from where a hurricane makes landfall, and far from the hurricane’s core.

Tornadoes Common During Hurricanes

It is not unusual for hurricanes to generate tornadoes; nearly all hurricanes and tropical storms that impact the U.S. produce at least one tornado, provided enough of the storm’s circulation travels inland, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NOAA indicates that these tornadoes typically occur in thunderstorms located in rain bands far from the center of the hurricane, but they can also appear near the eye of the storm.

Though the tornadoes generated by tropical storms tend to be weaker and have shorter lifespans, they can still be quite dangerous, warns NOAA.

Mechanism Behind Tornado Formation in Hurricanes

Hurricanes and tropical storms provide all the necessary conditions for tornado creation: they carry small, rotating supercells within their outer bands, which are thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, as noted by Live Science.

Powered by warm, humid air from the ocean, hurricanes generate strong wind shear near the surface, which can lead to an unstable atmosphere upon landfall, allowing their swirling winds to form vertical funnels.

Challenging to Identify

Tornadoes originating from tropical systems can develop rapidly and may be concealed by rain, making them difficult to spot, according to Edwards.

“When a tornado warning is issued, it is crucial for people to act swiftly,” he stated. “They must not wait to look outside for the tornado, as by the time they do, their house could suffer severe damage.”

Edwards urges those in homes that may not withstand a tornado to heed tornado warnings and consider relocating to a safer location, such as the home of a friend or family member.

Notable Tornadoes from Hurricanes

Hurricanes can produce tornadoes for up to three days after making landfall, but most tornadoes occur either on the day of landfall or the following day, per NOAA data.

The significant tornado outbreak during Hurricane Ivan in 2004 is one of the worst in history, with a record 127 tornadoes. The deadliest tornado caused by a hurricane occurred in October 1964, resulting in 22 fatalities in Larose, Louisiana during a tornado spawned by Hurricane Hilda.