The stronger the hurricane and the shallower the offshore water, the higher the surge will be. Over 6000 people were killed in the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, most by storm surge. Hurricane Camille produced a 25-foot storm surge in Mississippi. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 generated a 20-foot storm tide in South Carolina. The strong damaging winds of the hurricane frequently cover the smaller tornado paths, making the separation of their damaging effects very difficult.
Hurricanes also produce tornadoes, which add to the hurricanes destructive power.
Typically, the more intense a hurricane is, the greater the tornado threat. When a hurricane brings its winds inland, the fast-moving air hits terrain and structures, causing a frictional convergence which enhances lifting. Frictional convergence may be at least a contributing factor to tornado formation in hurricanes. The greatest concentration of tornadoes occur in right front quadrant of the hurricane. The exception is when there is interaction with a cold front after landfall.