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North America's Storm of the Century 1993Late Winter Super Storm Crippled the Atlantic Coast and Maritimes
The Storm of the Century, also known as the Superstorm of 1993, Great Blizzard of 1993, the White Hurricane or No-Name Hurricane, hit Eastern U.S. and Canada.
From March 12 to March 15 1993, a massive storm stretched from Eastern Canada, down through the eastern United States to Cuba and Central America. This super storm brought record low temperatures, strong winds, blizzards, tornadoes and storm surges. Despite advance warning from the US National Weather Service, many people and places were caught off guard. Formation of the 1993 Storm of the CenturyThe jet stream took an unusual dip south and brought along frigid air from Canada. The path of the jet stream ran down through Montana and southward to the Gulf of Mexico and turned upward along the eastern States and Canada. It looked like the letter “U”. Areas that were within the confines of the “U” experienced low temperatures. A collection of powerful thunderstorms that formed in the Gulf of Mexico collided with the jet stream. This unsettled and moist weather began to penetrate the areas already under the influence of a deep freeze and then it proceeded northward. This resulted in hurricane force winds in all areas plus blizzards in the north and snowfall as far south as the Florida panhandle and Texas. Damage Caused by the 1993 Storm of the CenturyIn the Northeastern States and Eastern Canadian Provinces, the average snowfall was approximately two feet. Although this snowfall may had been the norm for some areas, it was a rare occurrence to have a heavy snowfall in mid-March. The high winds caused drifting snow and white-out conditions. Some areas that are snow-prone, like Syracuse, New York, received a record-breaking three feet of snow. Parts of New Jersey had freezing rain in addition to snow. The hurricane force winds caused high waves on the Atlantic seaboard. On the eastern shore of Long Island, over 15 homes were swept out to sea. Deaths Caused by Traffic and Snow ShovellingMost of these northern cities were prepared for snow but most deaths occurred due to traffic accidents or heart attacks from shovelling snow. In New York State alone, there were 23 deaths. Snow in Southern USAChattanooga, Tennessee, that typically receives very little snow, had a dump of two to four feet of snow. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was hard hit. Six feet of snow fell at Mount LeConte and this was deepest snowfall registered during the Superstorm of 1993. The Appalachian Mountains were bombarded with snow and hundreds of people had to be rescued from the Appalachian Trail or from remote tourist destinations. In the Blue Ridge Mountains, snowfall ranged from two to three feet. In Boone North Carolina, the winds gusted to 110 mph and snow drifts were as high as 14 feet. In Birmingham, Alabama, the annual snowfall is approximately one inch. The super storm dumped a record-breaking 17 inches of snow. The normal temperature at this time of year for Birmingham is around 60F and during the storm, the temperature dropped to 2F. The Florida Panhandle recorded two inches of snow along with hurricane-force winds. Although Florida was not hit with a lot of snow, the storm spawned at least 11 tornadoes with two hitting Jacksonville. Coastal areas were devastated with storm surges up to 12 feet high. There were 26 deaths in Florida caused by tornadoes and storm surges. Thunder Snow and LightningIn addition to white-out conditions caused by snow and strong winds, electrical storms were occurring at the same time. This phenomenon, known as ‘thunder snow”, was detected from Texas up to Pennsylvania. Over 60,000 lightning strikes were recorded. At the height of the super storm, every major airport from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Atlanta, Georgia was closed. Motorists on streets and highways were caught off guard by ice and snow. There were many delays and accidents. At one point, the I-75 was backed up for 80 miles. Accidents at Sea in Blizzard of 1993Just off of the west coast of Florida, the freighter "Fantastico” sank and seven crew members died. The Coast Guard battled 30 foot swells and 50 mph winds and managed to rescue three people. Approximately one hundred charter boats and pleasure craft also sank in the tumultuous waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In the Atlantic, the freighter “Gold Bond Conveyer” sailing off the shores of Nova Scotia and Maine sank while battling 90 mph winds and 100 foot waves. Only one crew member was rescued. Deaths and Damage from 1993 SuperstormIn the end, the Superstorm of 1993 caused 300 deaths and approximately $6 to $10 billion damage. This indeed was the Storm of the Century! Sources:
The copyright of the article North America's Storm of the Century 1993 in Lightning & Storms is owned by Maureen K. Fleury. Permission to republish North America's Storm of the Century 1993 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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