Florida is used to dealing with most of the effects of powerful hurricanes - blasting winds, storm surge, twister-like vortexes.

Florida is used to dealing with most of the effects of powerful hurricanes - blasting winds, storm surge, twister-like vortexes.

But hurricanes have another impact - they can help trigger earthquakes, according to a new University of Miami study. Although Florida is far less vulnerable because its land is stable and flat, wet tropical storms are a danger to Haiti and other regions with rugged terrain.

The study found that tropical rains can produce landslides and severe erosion in mountainous areas, moving thousands of tons of mud. That shift in weight can unclamp tectonic plates below the surface, commencing the earthquake process.

See the complete story on the study in the Sun Sentinel.