Upper level winds from the east favor tropical cyclone development while west winds do not. The Keys and the surrounding coastal waters are most often affected by tropical cyclones during September and October with June having a secondary peak in frequency. The least likely time for tropical cyclones to affect the Keys is during July and early August. Most of the tropical cyclones that affect the Keys form in the Caribbean Sea and move north. Storm surge is the abnormal rise of water along a coastal area due to strong winds of a tropical cyclone.
Storm tide is the combination of the storm surge and the normal high tide.
Over 6,000 people were killed in the Galveston, TX hurricane in 1900, most by storm tide. Hurricane Camille created a 25 foot storm tide in Mississippi in 1969. Hurricane Hugo generated a 20 foot storm tide in September 1989 along the South Carolina coast. By comparison, Hurricane Georges only produced a maximum storm tide of 6 feet in the lower keys Outside of strong damaging winds, tropical cyclones can produce other types of severe weather. Most landfalling tropical cyclones produce tornadoes.