The “dirty side” of a hurricane refers to the part of the storm that typically brings the highest impact: the greatest winds, the greatest tornado risk, and the greatest storm surge and flooding. In the case of Atlantic hurricanes, which rotate counterclockwise, the “dirty side” is to the right — where the winds move in the same direction as the storm in their speed combination. This is why the greatest risk of storm surge during a hurricane is in the center of the storm, the “eye wall” and to its right, where advancing winds push water ashore.
As the storm’s center is the strongest, forecasters focus on tracking it using a popular tool called a “forecast cone,” which shows the likely path of a storm’s center but leaves out the wider impact areas. Many viewers of hurricane forecasts don’t realize that storm impacts reach beyond the cone, especially to the right of the storm.
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