making landfall in
Cameron, Louisiana as a Category 4 storm. A
tropical cyclone is classified as making landfall when the center of the storm moves across the coast; in a relatively strong tropical cyclone, this is when the center of its
eye moves over land. This is where most of the damage occurs within a mature tropical cyclone, such as a typhoon or hurricane, as most of the damaging aspects of these systems are concentrated near the
eyewall. Such effects include the peaking of the
storm surge, the core of strong winds coming ashore, and heavy flooding
rains. These coupled with high surf can cause major
beach erosion. When a tropical cyclone makes landfall, the eye usually closes in upon itself due to negative environmental factors over land, such as
friction with the terrain, which causes surf to decrease, and drier continental air.
Maximum sustained winds will naturally decrease as the cyclone moves inland due to frictional differences between water and land with the free
atmosphere. Landfall is distinct from a
direct hit. A direct hit is where the core of high
winds (or eyewall) comes onshore but the center of the storm may stay offshore. The effects of this may be quite similar to landfall, as this term is used when the radius of maximum wind within a tropical cyclone moves ashore. These effects are high surf, heavy rains that may cause flooding, minor storm surge,
coastal erosion, high
winds, and possibly
severe thunderstorms with
tornadoes around the periphery. ==Tornado or waterspout==