Dear Tom,
What defines a “landfalling hurricane”?
— Gregor McFanlie, Chicago
Dear Gregor,
Hurricane landfall is defined as the point when the center or eye of a tropical cyclone first intersects the coastline. This may come several hours after significant weather reaches the coast because the storm’s strongest winds normally extend far ahead of the relatively clear and calm eye. Locations near the point of landfall usually experience very strong winds ahead of the eye, a period of light winds as the eye passes, followed by an onslaught of strong winds from the opposite direction. Once the storm’s eye crosses the coastline, the weakening process begins. Denied access to the warm and energy-laden ocean waters, and torn about by friction with the terrain, the eye disappears, barometric pressure begins to rise and the storm’s winds decrease.
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