Hurricanes have many weather features associated with them. The most obvious is the wind. Depending on how strong the hurricane is, winds can sometimes exceed 155mph! Wind is the main cause for structural damage and downed power lines and trees. A hurricane can dump several inches of rain depending on how fast it moves. A slow moving hurricane can easily dump over 10 inches of rain on a given area. The most deadly and probably least understood of elements of a hurricane is the storm surge. A storm surge is a large dome of water often 50 to 100 miles wide that sweeps across the coastline where a hurricane makes landfall. The surge of high water combined with waves is devastating. The stronger the hurricane and the shallower the offshore water, the higher the surge. Along the immediate coast, storm surge is the greatest threat to life and property.