Landfall

More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact of arriving there.

Such effects include the peaking of the storm surge, the core of strong winds coming ashore, and heavy flooding rains.

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.

When a fair weather waterspout makes landfall, it usually dissipates quickly due to friction and a reduction in the amount of warm air supplied to the funnel.