Can I say "strikes" instead of "hits"?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Yes, you can. In this context, "hits" and "strikes" have the same meaning. However, the verb "to hit" is more commonly used in combination with "storm," to signify the beginning of a storm. Ex: The storm will hit in less than an hour. Ex: We were driving when the storm hit, so we had to pull over and seek shelter.