Hurricane Milton's outer rain bands trigger a tornado outbreak in Florida

Storm surges, 100 mph winds and flooding typically dominate hurricane forecasts, but tornadoes are another common destructive element. Hurricane Milton's outer rain bands brought over 10 tornadoes to Florida today, classifying it as a tornado outbreak. Check out the photo below showing the 53 tornado warnings issued in South Florida today as of 3:00 p.m. ET.

RELATED: The latest on Hurricane Milton

Did you know that a tornado outbreak associated with a hurricane is actually very common? Hurricane Beryl spawned 68 tornadoes as it moved across the United States. Hurricane Ida spawned 36 tornadoes in 2020. Tropical Storm Alberto made landfall in Mexico last June, but an outer band of rain actually spawned a tornado in Bellville. Hurricane rainbands have an inherent rotation that can contribute to the formation of tropical tornadoes. We typically see tropical tornadoes far from the center of the storm, but tornadoes have also been reported closer to the eyewall.

These tornadoes do not last as long as tornadoes seen in the plains, but can still cause significant damage. When it comes to tornadoes, we usually see them on the dirty side of the hurricane (front right quadrant). These tornadoes are usually weaker than the tornadoes seen in the plains, but can still be strong.

Keep thinking about our friends in Florida, it's going to be a long night.