Hurricanes

High Winds

Tropical weather systems are defined in part by the wind speeds they produce, said State Climatologist David Stooksbury.

"A tropical storm is one that has maximum sustained surface wind speeds between 39 and 73 mph. And a hurricane's maximum sustained winds are 74 mph or more," he said. "A tropical depression has maximum sustained surface wind speeds of 38 mph or less."

Tropical storm-strength winds can reach hundreds of miles from where the storm makes landfall.