Hurricanes vs. Tornadoes: What’s the Difference and Which Is More Dangerous?
Tornadoes and hurricanes are two of the most common natural weather disasters in the United States, with several storms and funnels impacting land and residents each year. While both are a regular occurrence, these weather systems are not the same, each posing unique threats and danger levels.
Learn the definition of a hurricane and a tornado and discover the areas in which they differ below. If you live in an area at risk of either weather event, use the preparation tips below to keep your home and family safe.
What Is a Hurricane?
A hurricane is a tropical cyclone, a system of low pressure in the air that forms near the tropics. Tropical cyclones bring thunderstorms with them and a counter-clockwise rotation of wind. Hurricanes follow a rating system of 1-5, with 1 being the least damaging and 5 being the most destructive with the highest winds.
Hurricanes pose the most risk to coastal areas, but their impact can also be felt several hundred miles from the coast. Hurricane winds can reach more than 155 miles per hour, posing a great danger to infrastructure and people. They can also create storm surges and tornadoes, causing even more damage.
Hurricanes primarily form during hurricane season, from June 1 to November 30. Their impact can last for days or weeks, with areas receiving the highest impact potentially without power for just as long. Those living in hurricane-prone areas should take precautions ahead of time, investing in provisions like solar or fuel generators or portable power stations like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 to ensure you’ll have a power source even if a hurricane knocks the grid out for an extended period.
What Is a Tornado?
A tornado is a rotating funnel of air that comes into contact with the Earth’s surface and a cloud. Tornadoes are typically formed from thunderstorms, but they don’t require lightning. They often occur one at a time, but tornado clusters aren’t unheard of. A tornado’s width, length, speed, and travel direction vary—but its damage path can be more than a mile wide and 50 miles long.
Every state faces the risk of tornadoes, but certain areas are particularly prone. We call this Tornado Alley, and it spans the central U.S., including Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Kansas, with parts of South Dakota, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
Tornadoes develop rapidly, leaving little time for advanced warning. When precautions are possible, they come in two levels: watch and warning. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for the formation of a tornado, and residents should remain alert and stay tuned for more updates. A tornado warning is more urgent, noting that a tornado has been detected or spotted.
Tornado speed averages around 30 mph, but it can sometimes go up to 70 mph. They can form on the edge of a thunderstorm, but it’s common to see sunny skies behind a tornado. When a tornado forms over water, it creates a water spout, which pulls water into the funnel.
Tornadoes most often occur between March and May in southern states, while late spring through early summer is the high-risk time for northern states. They are most likely between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but they can strike any time.
Since there’s little time to prepare for a tornado, it’s best to have an emergency power supply already on hand for your home in case of outages.
What’s the Difference Between a Hurricane and a Tornado?
Tornadoes and hurricanes both cycle air in rotation, but beyond that, they have far more differences than similarities. Here are the primary areas where hurricanes and tornadoes differ:
Location
Tornadoes have been recorded on all continents except Antarctica. Still, the areas most affected by their impact are where cold and warm fronts converge, such as the American Midwest.
Hurricanes, conversely, form in the tropical zone via warm ocean waters in the North Atlantic Ocean or the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the International Date Line. They can also form in the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E. Areas bordering the Caribbean Sea, such as eastern U.S. states, are the most affected.
Intensity and Size
Hurricane intensity is categorized into five groups based on wind intensity and risk of damage. Category 1 is the lowest (which should still be heeded with caution), and Category 5 is the highest (the most severe, major hurricane). Their size also comes into play, with a potential diameter of hundreds of miles. The largest cyclone on record had a diameter of 1,380 miles—nearly half the size of the United States.
Tornadoes are also rated on a scale based on intensity. The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) uses 28 damage indicators and 8 degrees of damage to estimate wind speeds. EF0 is light damage, such as broken branches; EF2 is considerable damage, such as roofs torn off or destroyed mobile homes; EF4 is devastating damage, such as large downed trees, tossed cars, and destroyed homes. The EF Scale ranges from EF0-EF5, with different types of damage at each level. The levels shared above are just an example. The EF Scale does not take into account the size of the tornado. While tornadoes are far from the potential size of hurricanes, they can still be hundreds of meters wide, leaving a large trail of destruction in their wake.
Frequency
Several hurricanes form each year, with a frequency of about 10-15 annually within hurricane season. As for tornadoes, the U.S. records around 1200 per year, primarily in the spring and fall.
Lifespan
Hurricanes last several days, which is one reason there’s so much warning. They often form long before their impact is felt, so they can be tracked along the way, giving people the opportunity to prepare or evacuate if necessary.
Tornadoes are quick—they can appear and disappear within minutes, with little to no warning or time to prepare.
Rotation
Hurricanes and tornadoes rotate clockwise if formed in the southern hemisphere but counter-clockwise if formed in the northern hemisphere. This is one of their few similarities.
Hurricane and Tornado Preparation Tips
Build an Emergency Kit: Prepare a comprehensive emergency kit with first aid supplies, nonperishable food, clean drinking water, blankets, flashlights with extra batteries, vital documents, and a battery-powered or crank radio.
Invest in Alternative Power Sources: Tornadoes and hurricanes can knock out grid power for extended periods. Invest in EcoFlow Portable Power Stations to give your family backup power for essential devices and appliances. For example, the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus has a 1024 Wh capacity and 1800W output.
Designate a Safe Space: Determine the safest place in your home. This is usually an interior room without doors or windows, like a laundry room, linen closet, or toilet closet.
Create a Communication Plan: Ensure your family knows how to contact one another during a disaster. Communication is crucial, so consider giving each family member an EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank to charge their phones in an emergency.
Know What to Do: Know what you need to do depending on the incoming disaster. For hurricanes, protect your solar panels, windows, and doors. For tornadoes, avoid cars and get to the lowest and safest point in your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Hurricane Stronger Than a Tornado?
Tornadoes can reach higher wind speeds at a single point but cannot sustain them. Hurricanes are considered stronger and more destructive because they can reach up to 150 mph of sustained winds, have a longer duration, and are larger.
What’s Scarier, a Tornado or a Hurricane?
A tornado can be scarier because it happens on short notice with little warning, giving you barely any time to prepare and protect yourself. However, hurricanes may be more frightening to some people because their duration is significantly longer.
Can a Hurricane Turn Into a Tornado?
Yes, hurricanes can span tornadoes, but a hurricane cannot turn into a tornado. Hurricanes commonly create tornadoes when they make landfall, which increases wind shear and friction. The friction can cause warm air to rise, spinning into a tornado.
Final Thoughts
Hurricanes and tornadoes are scary and devastating natural weather occurrences you can’t avoid entirely. While different in terms of location, size, lifespan, and frequency, they both can cause incredible damage in their wake, including long-term power outages. Prepare as best as possible and know how to ride out these disasters safely. Invest in EcoFlow DELTA Series Solar Generators for a backup power source when the grid is down so your family can recover more comfortably with assured power.