Definition: The hurricane strike circle is a circle of 125 nautical miles in diameter, centered 12.5 nautical miles to the right of the hurricane center. This circle is meant to depict the typical extent of hurricane force winds, which are approximately 75 nautical miles to the right of the center and 50 nautical miles to the left.
Once the hurricane strike circle is determined, forecasters can predict if a hurricane strike will occur. The hurricane can be either an indirect hit or a landfalling hurricane.
Source: The National Weather Service Hurricane Glossary