Hurricane winds can exceed 155 mph and severely affect areas hundreds of miles inland. The wind rotates in counterclockwise direction around the center of the storm, called the "eye", where the winds are nearly calm. The wind in an intense hurricane may exceed 150 mph with gusts above 200 mph just outside of the storm's center. Hurricane force winds may extend out 100 miles from the center with gale force winds (39 mph of higher) extending outward 250 miles. It is the wind and low pressure that create the storm surge.
A storm surge is a great dome of water often 50 miles wide, that comes sweeping across the coastline near the area where the eye of the hurricane makes landfall. The surge, aided by the hammering effect of breaking waves, acts like a giant bulldozer sweeping everything in its path. The stronger the hurricane and the shallower the water, the higher the the storm surge will be. If the storm surge arrives at the same time as the high tide, the water height will be even greater. This is unquestionably the most dangerous part of a hurricane. Nine out of ten hurricane fatalities are caused by the storm surge. Hurricane Camille in 1969 produced a 25 foot storm surge which inundated Pass Christian, Mississippi.
Landfall is the term used to indicate the moment the eye of a hurricane hits land. Although the "eye" of the hurricane is deceptively calm, the most most violent activity occurs in the area surrounding the eye, known as the "eyewall". However, leading edge winds produce damage to mobile homes and lightly-constructed buildings which creates flying missiles of roofing and building materials, signs, loose outdoor items and assorted debris. Destructive hurricane-force winds often persist well inland. When a hurricane hits at a speed of 74 mph., the transaction of energy within its circulation is great. The condensation heat energy released by a hurricane in one day can be the equivalent of energy released by fusion of four hundred 20-megaton hydrogen bombs.
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