Every hurricane has its own unique characteristics, but each storm shares some similarities as well. Let's take a moment and break down the anatomy of a hurricane.
A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone, a storm system that forms over the ocean. In the Northern Hemisphere, those storms are called "hurricanes" if they reach wind speeds of 74 mph (119 km/h) or higher.
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They are characterized by powerful, organized, rotating winds fueled by warm ocean air. The air cools as it rises, and thunderstorms form.
On radar or satellite, a hurricane looks like a ring with a hold in the middle. That hole is the hurricane's "eye." That's where you're going to find very peaceful conditions and maybe even some sunshine.
But surrounding the eye is the most violent part of a hurricane – the eye wall. That's where you'll find the strongest winds in a band stretching about 15 miles out from the eye. Wherever the eye wall of the hurricane makes landfall is where the storm does the most devastating damage.
Just outside of the eye wall, there's another band of hurricane-force winds, not quite as strong.
Winds farther out from the eye, are gradually less intense, but a big hurricane can bring tropical storm-force winds over an area of hundreds of miles.
The right front quadrant of a hurricane's circular shape has winds being generated by the storm that are in concert with the forward motion, making them the strongest of the storm.
On the other side of the storm, the winds end up being a little bit lighter but still very strong.