Cyclones Inside a Cyclone: 5 Hurricanes that Produced the Most Tornadoes

Tornado Threat from Hurricanes

Tornadoes from tropical systems make up an average of over 20 percent of all United States tornadoes during the month of August, and sometimes 50 percent or more of all tornadoes in September, said Dr. Greg Forbes, severe weather expert for The Weather Channel. Most of the tornadoes develop in bands of thunderstorms and intense showers outside of the eyewall about 50 to 250 miles from the hurricane or tropical storm center, he said.

"Unfortunately, hurricane-spawned tornadoes often develop rapidly and there may be little or no advance warning," Forbes said. "Often there is a tornado watch in effect, indicating that conditions are favorable for the development of this type of tornado. It's important to be very aware of the weather on these occasions."

(MORE: Tornado Safety Precautions)

The majority of the tornadoes spawned by tropical storms and hurricanes are short-lived and of the weaker EF0 or EF1 variety, but some can reach EF2 or EF3 intensity.

In the active 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, Forbes found that about 8.5 percent of the 558 total tornadoes spawned by tropical storms and hurricanes in those two seasons were rated F2 or F3 intensity. The remaining 91.5 percent were rated either F0 or F1.

(MORE: How Tornadoes are Rated)

Only two F4 tornadoes have been documented from hurricanes moving inland.

On Sept. 10, 1961, Hurricane Carla spawned an F4 tornado that killed eight people in Galveston, Texas. A few years later on Oct. 3, 1964, an F4 tornado from Hurricane Hilda killed 22 people in LaFourche Parish, La.

What hurricanes have produced the most tornadoes in recorded history? On the following pages we highlight the top five most tornadic hurricanes.

NEXT #5: A tornadic second landfall for this hurricane.

#5: Hurricane Andrew (1992): 61 Tornadoes

Andrew's first landfall as a Category 5 caused extreme wind damage in southern Florida on Aug. 24, 1992.

However, the 61 tornadoes that Andrew and its remnants produced came after its second landfall as a Category 3 in south-central Louisiana.

Tornadoes were reported from Louisiana to Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and the Middle Atlantic states as Andrew moved north and eastward from Aug. 26-28, 1992.

One of the worst tornadoes spawned by Andrew was an F3 that carved a path nine miles long from LaPlace, La. to Reserve, La. Two people were killed and another 32 were injured.

According to the official report from the National Hurricane Center, no tornadoes were confirmed in southern Florida with Andrew's first landfall. However, some funnels were sighted in Glades, Collier and Highlands Counties.

NEXT #4: Biggest tornado producer of the record 2005 hurricane season.

#4: Hurricane Rita (2005): 89 Tornadoes

Above: Photos of coastal impacts from Hurricane Rita in 2005.

Hurricane Rita made landfall near the border between Louisiana and Texas in late September 2005. Storm surge flooding was devastating for communities along the southwestern Louisiana coast.

As Rita moved inland and weakened, it also produced 89 tornadoes across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.

A total of 55 of these tornadoes touched down in the warning area of the Jackson, Miss. National Weather Service office, which includes parts of central Mississippi, northeast Louisiana and extreme southeastern Arkansas. One of these was rated an F3 and seven others were rated F2.

One person was killed near the town of Isola, Miss. by an F1 tornado.

NEXT #3: More than 100 tornadoes.

#3: Hurricane Frances (2004): 103 Tornadoes

Hurricane Frances made landfall along the Atlantic coast of Florida in early September of 2004. From there, Frances then weakened as it tracked northward along the Appalachians from Georgia to Pennsylvania.

East of this path, Frances produced 103 tornadoes from Florida to Maryland. South Carolina was the state that saw the most twisters with a total of 45.

The strongest tornado was an F3 that struck near Camden, S.C. Several mobile homes were demolished and numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.

NEXT #2: South Texas tropical twisters.

#2: Hurricane Beulah (1967): 115 Tornadoes

Hurricane Beulah produced 115 tornadoes in southern Texas over a three-day period from Sept. 19-22, 1967.

According to NOAA, five of the fifteen deaths from Beulah were due to the tornadoes. Another 32 people were injured.

The worst damage occurred in the community of Sweet Home in Lavaca County, according to a paper written on Beulah's tornadoes in 1970. Four of the five deaths occurred in this location.

Beulah also packed damaging winds, storm surge flooding and torrential rainfall that caused widespread flooding in southern Texas.

NEXT #1: The most prolific tornado-producing hurricane in history.

#1: Hurricane Ivan (2004): 120 Tornadoes

Ivan was the second of two hurricanes that produced more than 100 tornadoes in the 2004 hurricane season. The other was Hurricane Frances, which we highlighted earlier in this article.

The 120 tornadoes produced by Ivan is the most of any hurricane or tropical storm on record in the United States.

Ivan's tornadoes struck nine states from Florida to Pennsylvania in a three-day period from Sept. 15-17. Virginia saw the most tornadoes with 37 total followed by Georgia with 25 and Florida with 18.

On Sept. 15, an F2 tornado killed one person and injured seven others near Panama City Beach, Fla. A little more an hour later, a separate tornado touched down in Panama City, Fla. and killed two people. On that same day, another F2 tornado killed four in Blountstown, Fla.

The strongest tornado spawned by Ivan was an F3 that hit near Remington, Va.

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