 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | March 12, 1993 |
| Dissipated | March 14, 1993 |
| Category 5 "Extreme" winter storm | |
| Regional snowfall index: 24.63 (NOAA) | |
| Highest winds | 100 mph (160 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 960mbar (hPa); 28.35 inHg |
| Lowest temperature | −12 °F (−24 °C) |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 56 in (140 cm) atMt. Le Conte,Tennessee |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 11 |
| Maximum rating | F2 tornado |
| Duration | 1 hour, 32 minutes |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 318 |
| Damage | $5.5 billion (1993USD) |
| Areas affected | Eastern United States,Canada,Mexico,Cuba,The Bahamas,Bermuda |
| Power outages | >10,000,000 |
Part of the1992–93 North American winterandtornado outbreaks of 1993 | |
The1993 Storm of the Century (also known as the93 Superstorm,The No Name Storm, or theGreat Blizzard of '93/1993) was a devastatingcyclonic storm, ornor'easter, that formed over theGulf of Mexico on March 12, 1993. The cold weather, heavy snowfall, high winds and storm surge that the storm brought affected a very large area; at its height, it stretched fromCanada toHonduras.[1] The cyclone moved through the Gulf of Mexico and then through theeastern United States before moving on toeastern Canada. It eventually dissipated in the NorthAtlantic Ocean on March 15.
Heavy snow was first reported in highland areas as far south as Alabama and northern Georgia, withUnion County, Georgia reporting up to 35 inches (89 cm) of snow.Birmingham, Alabama, reported a rare 13 in (33 cm) of snow.[2][3] TheFlorida Panhandle reported around 6–12 in (15–30 cm) of snow,[4] withhurricane-force wind gusts and record lowbarometric pressures. BetweenLouisiana and Cuba, the hurricane-force winds produced highstorm surges across theBig Bend of Florida which, in combination with scatteredtornadoes, killed dozens of people.
Record cold temperatures were seen across portions of theSouthern United States and Eastern United States in the wake of this storm. In the United States, the storm was responsible for the loss ofelectric power to more than 10 million households. An estimated 40 percent of the country's population experienced the effects of the storm[5] and it led to a total of 208 fatalities.[1] In all, the storm resulted in 318 deaths, and caused $5.5 billion (1993USD) in damages.
The greatest recorded snowfall amounts were atMount Le Conte inTennessee, where 56 inches (140 cm) of snow fell, andMount Mitchell inNorth Carolina, the tallest mountain in eastern North America, where 50 inches (130 cm) was measured to fall and 15-foot (4.6 m) snow drifts were reported.[6]
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression
Avolcanic winter is thought to have started with the1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The temperature in thestratosphere rose to several degrees higher than normal, due to the absorption of radiation by the aerosol. The stratospheric cloud from the eruption persisted in the atmosphere for three years. The eruption, while not directly responsible, may have played a part in the formation of the 1993 Storm of the Century.[7]
During March 11 and 12, 1993, temperatures over much of the eastern United States began to drop as anarctichigh pressure system built over theMidwestern United States and theGreat Plains. Concurrently, anextratropicalarea of low pressure formed over Mexico along astationary front draped west to east. By the afternoon of March 12, a defined airmass boundary was present along the deepening low. An initial burst of convective precipitation off the southern coast of Texas (facilitated by the transport of tropical moisture into the region) enabled initial intensification of the surface feature on March 12. Supported by a strong split-polarjet stream and ashortwave trough, the nascent systemrapidly deepened.[8] The system's central pressure fell to 991 mbar (991.0 hPa; 29.26 inHg) by 00:00 UTC on March 13. A powerful low-level jet over eastern Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico enhanced acold front extending from the low southward to theIsthmus of Tehuantepec. Furthermore, thesubtropical jet stream was displaced unusually far south, reaching into the Pacific Ocean near Central America and extending toward Honduras and Jamaica. Intenseageostrophic flow was noted over the southern United States, with winds flowing perpendicular toisobars overLouisiana.[8]
As the area of low pressure moved through the central Gulf of Mexico, a short wave trough in the northern branch of the jet stream fused with the system in the southern stream, which further strengthened the surface low. Asquall line developed along the system'scold front, which moved rapidly across the eastern Gulf of Mexico through Florida and Cuba.[8] The cyclone's center moved into north-west Florida early on the morning of March 13, with a significantstorm surge in the northwestern Florida peninsula that drowned several people. This initially caused the storm to be a blizzard but also cyclonic.
Barometric pressures recorded during the storm were low. Readings of 976 mb (976 hPa; 28.8 inHg) were recorded inTallahassee, Florida, and even lower readings of 960millibars (960 hPa; 28 inHg) were observed in New England. Low pressure records for March were set in areas of twelve states along the Eastern Seaboard,[9] with all-time low pressure records set between Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.[10] Snow began to spread over the eastern United States, and a large squall line moved from the Gulf of Mexico into Florida and Cuba. The storm system tracked up the East Coast during Saturday and into Canada by early Monday morning. In the storm's wake, unseasonably cold temperatures were recorded over the next two days in theSoutheast.
The Storm of the Century marked a milestone in theweather forecasting of the United States. By March 8, 1993, several operationalnumerical weather prediction models and medium-rangeforecasters at the United StatesNational Weather Service recognized the threat of a significantsnowstorm. This marked the first time National Weather Service meteorologists were able to predict accurately a system's severity five days in advance. Officialblizzard warnings were issued two days before the storm arrived, as shorter-range models began to confirm the predictions. Forecasters were finally confident enough of the computer-forecast models to support decisions by several northeastern states to declare astate of emergency even before the snow started to fall.[11]
The storm complex was large and widespread, affecting at least 26 US states and much of eastern Canada. It brought in cold air along with heavy precipitation and hurricane-force winds which, ultimately, caused ablizzard over the affected area; this also includedthundersnow fromGeorgia toPennsylvania and widespreadwhiteout conditions. Snow flurries were seen in the air as far south asJacksonville, Florida,[12] and some areas ofcentral Florida received a trace of snow. The storm severely impacted both ground and air travel. Airports were closed all along the eastern seaboard, and flights were cancelled or diverted, thus stranding many passengers along the way. Every airport fromHalifax, Nova Scotia, toTampa, Florida was temporarily closed due to the storm. Highways were also closed or restricted all across the affected region, even in states generally well prepared for snow emergencies.[citation needed]
| Place | Total |
|---|---|
| Mount LeConte, TN | 56 inches (140 cm)[6] |
| Mount Mitchell, NC | 50 inches (130 cm)[6] |
| Snowshoe, WV | 44 in (110 cm)[13] |
| Syracuse, NY | 43 in (110 cm)[13] |
| Tobyhanna, PA | 42 in (110 cm)[13] |
| Portsmouth, OH | 36 in (91 cm) |
| Rarden, OH | 36 in (91 cm) |
| Lincoln, NH | 35 in (89 cm)[13] |
| Blairsville, GA | 35 in (89 cm)[3] |
| Boone, NC | 33 in (84 cm) |
| Gatlinburg, TN | 30 in (76 cm)[13] |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 25.2 in (64 cm) |
| Chattanooga, TN | 23 in (58 cm)[13] |
| London, KY | 22 in (56 cm)[14] |
| Worcester, MA | 20.1 in (51 cm)[15] |
| Ottawa, ON | 17.7 in (45 cm)[16] |
| Birmingham, AL | 13 in (33 cm)[17] |
| Montreal, QC | 16.1 in (41 cm)[18] |
| Knoxville, TN | 15 in (38 cm) |
| Trenton, NJ | 14.8 in (38 cm) |
| Dulles, VA (25 miles NW of Washington, D.C.) | 14.1 in (36 cm) |
| Birmingham, AL | 13 in (33 cm)[19] |
| Boston, MA | 12.8 in (33 cm) |
| New York, NY (LaGuardia) | 12.3 in (31 cm) |
| Baltimore, MD (BWI) | 11.9 in (30 cm) |
| Atlanta, GA (northern suburbs) | 10.0 in (25 cm) |
| Huntsville, AL | 7 in (18 cm)[20] |
| Tallahassee, FL | 6 in (16 cm) |
| Atlanta, GA (Hartsfield International Airport) | 4.5 in (11 cm)[13] |
| Mobile, AL | 3 in (7.6 cm) |
Some affected areas in the Appalachian Mountain region saw 5 feet (1.5 m) of snow, and snowdrifts as high as 35 feet (11 m).Mount Le Conte, Tennessee recorded 56" andMount Mitchell, NC recorded 50 in (130 cm) of snowfall. Thevolume of the storm's total snowfall was later computed to be 12.91 cubic miles (53.8 km3), an amount which would weigh (depending on the variabledensity of snow) between 5.4 and 27 billion tons.
The weight of the record snowfallscollapsed several factory roofs in theSouth; andsnowdrifts on thewindward sides of buildings caused a fewdecks with substandard anchoring to fall from homes. Though the storm was forecast to strike the snow-proneAppalachian Mountains, hundreds of people were nonethelessrescued from the Appalachians, many caught completely off guard on theAppalachian Trail or incabins and lodges in remote locales. Snowdrifts up to 14 feet (4.3 m) were observed atMount Mitchell. Snowfall totals of between 2 and 3 feet (0.61 and 0.91 m) were widespread across northwestern North Carolina.Boone, North Carolina—in a high-elevation area accustomed to heavy snowfalls—was nonetheless caught off-guard by more than 30 inches (76 cm) of snow and 24 hours of temperatures below 11 °F (−12 °C). Boone's Appalachian State University closed that week, for the first time in its history. Stranded motorists atDeep Gap broke into Parkway Elementary School to survive, and National Guard helicopters dropped hay in fields to keep livestock from starving in northern N.C. mountain counties.
In Virginia, the LancerLot sports arena inVinton collapsed due to the weight of the record snowfall, forcing theVirginia Lancers of theECHL to relocate to nearbyRoanoke and become theRoanoke Express. Also collapsing were the roofs of aLowe's store inChristiansburg and theDedmon Center, atRadford University. Thousands of travelers were stranded along interstate highways inSouthwest Virginia.[21]Electricity was not restored to many isolated rural areas for up to three weeks, with power outages occurring all over the east. Nearly 60,000 lightning strikes were recorded as the storm swept over the country for a total of 72 hours. As one of the most powerful, complex storms in recent history, this storm was described as the "Storm of the Century" by many of the areas affected.[citation needed]
A hockey game hosted by thePhiladelphia Flyers against theLos Angeles Kings was postponed due to a large window breaking from wind gusts just before the end of the first period.[22]
TheUnited States Coast Guard dealt with "absolutely incredible, unbelievable" conditions within the Gulf of Mexico. The 200-foot (61 m) freighterFantastico sank 70 miles (110 km) offFt. Myers, Florida, and seven of her crew died when a Coast Guard helicopter was forced back to base due to low fuel levels after rescuing three of her crew. The 147-foot (45 m) freighterMiss Beholden ran aground on acoral reef 10 miles (16 km) fromKey West, Florida. Several other smaller vessels sank in the rough seas. In all, the Coast Guard rescued 235 people from over 100 boats across the Gulf of Mexico during the tempest.[23]
Besides producing record-low barometric pressure across a swath of theSoutheast andMid-Atlantic states, and contributing to one of the nation's biggest snowstorms, the low produced a potent squall line ahead of itscold front. Thesquall line produced a serialderecho as it moved into Florida and Cuba shortly after midnight on March 13. Straight-line winds gusted above 100 miles per hour (87 kn; 160 km/h) at many locations in Florida as thesquall line moved through. A substantial tree fall was seen statewide from this system. Thesupercells in the derecho produced eleven tornadoes. The first tornado was an F2 that touched down inChiefland at 04:38 UTC on March 13, damaging several mobile homes and downing trees and power lines. Three people were killed and seven people sustained injures. Around the same time, an F1 tornado was spawned nearCrystal River. After moving eastward into the town, the twister damaged 15 homes, several of them severely. A total of three people were injured. The next tornado was a waterspout that moved ashore overTreasure Island around 05:00 UTC. Rated F0, the tornado deroofed one home, damaged several others, and impacted a few boats.[25]
Around 05:04 UTC, an F0 tornado was reported inNew Port Richey, damaging several homes and injuring 11 people. About 16 minutes later, an F2 tornado formed to the southwest ofOcala. Many trees fell and several storage buildings and a warehouse suffered extensive damage, while one hangar was destroyed and two others received major damage at theOcala International Airport. At 05:20 UTC, approximately the same time as the Ocala tornado, another twister – rated F1 – touched down nearLaCrosse. Several trees and power lines were downed and a few homes were destroyed, one from a propane explosion. One person was killed and four others received injuries. About 10 minutes later, another F2 twister was spawned nearHowey-in-the-Hills. It moved throughMount Dora, destroying 13 homes, substantially damaging 80 homes, and inflicting minor damage on 266 homes. One person, a 5-month-old baby, was killed, while two others were injured.[25]
At 05:30 UTC, a waterspout-turned F0 tornado tossed a 23 ft (7.0 m) sailboat about 300 ft (91 m) at theDavis Islands yacht club in Tampa, while five other boats broke loose from their cradles and twelve were smashed into the seawall. About 30 minutes later,an F1 tornado formed inJacksonville, demolishing four dwellings and damaging sixteen others.[25] Also at 06:00 UTC, an F0 tornado spawned nearBartow snapped a few trees and damaged a few doors. The final tornado developed in Jacksonville at 06:10 UTC. The twister damaged a few trees near theJacksonville International Airport. At the airport itself, the tornado damaged several jetways and service vehicles, while aBoeing 737 was pushed about 40 ft (12 m).[25]
A substantialstorm surge was also generated along the gulf coast fromApalachee Bay in the Florida Panhandle to north ofTampa Bay. Due to the angle of the coast relative to the approaching squall,Taylor County along the eastern portion ofApalachee Bay andHernando County north of Tampa were especially hard-hit.[4]
Storm surges in those areas reached up to 12 feet (3.7 m),[24] higher than many hurricanes. With little advance warning of incoming severe conditions, some coastal residents were awakened in the early morning of March 13 by the waters of theGulf of Mexico rushing into their homes.[26] More people died from drowning in this storm than duringHurricanes Hugo andAndrew combined.[5] Overall, the storm's surge, winds, and tornadoes damaged or destroyed 18,000 homes.[27] A total of 47 people died in Florida due to this storm.[4]
Despite all the rainfall and tornadoes, lots of snow also dropped in the Panhandle regions of Florida. Areas saw snow of up to 1 foot near the coast and inland. In Tallahassee, around 1 to 2 inches of snow were dropped to the ground. In Jacksonville and Fernandina beach, traces of snow were seen in the air. Very cold temperatures were also seen in the state. Snow was seen as far south as Tampa Bay in central Florida. Tallahassee's lowest temperature was 17 degrees F (-8 degrees C). On March 13,Orlando saw 26 degrees F (-3 degrees C), andMiami saw 39 degrees F (4 degrees C) that same day. In Orlando, there were mixed precipitations with rain, sleet and snow combined. Miami saw near record cold temperatures for the month of March, making it a very rare phenomenon for Florida; Florida is usually mild all year round.
In Cuba, wind gusts reached 100 mph (160 km/h) in theHavana area. A survey conducted by a research team from the Institute of Meteorology of Cuba suggests that the maximum winds could have been as high as 130 mph (210 km/h). It is the most damaging squall line ever recorded in Cuba.
There was widespread and significant damage in Cuba, with damage estimated as intense asF2.[8] The squall line finally moved out of Cuba near sunrise, leaving 10 deaths and US$1 billion in damage on the island.
The cargo shipGold Bond Conveyor en route from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to Tampa, Florida foundered in the Atlantic Ocean 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) SE of Sable Island, Nova Scotia with the loss of all 33 crew.[28] It is thought that water entered the hold where gypsum ore was being stored and caused the rock to shift and harden. This instability compounded with winds of 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) and 100-foot (30 m) waves led to her sinking. The Liberian-flagged ship was owned by Skaarup Shipping Corp., of Greenwich, Connecticut, and under charter to National Gypsum Co., a U.S. company. The ship had previously survived thePerfect Storm of 1991 two years earlier.[29]
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | StartCoord.[note 1] | Time | Path length | Width[note 2] | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F2 | NW ofChiefland | Levy | FL | 29°30′N82°53′W / 29.5°N 82.88°W /29.5; -82.88 (Chiefland (March 12, F2)) | 04:38–? | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 80 yd (73 m) | $50,000,000 |
| 3 deaths – A tornado damaged or destroyed frame homes and trailers, crushing to death three people, including an aged individual. The tornado also felled trees and power lines. 10 injuries occurred.[34][25][35] | ||||||||
| F1 | E ofCrystal River | Citrus | FL | 28°54′N82°34′W / 28.9°N 82.57°W /28.9; -82.57 (Crystal River (March 12, F1)) | 04:38–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 30 yd (27 m) | $5,000,000 |
| This tornado damaged 15 homes, some severely. Three injuries occurred.[25][36] | ||||||||
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | StartCoord.[note 1] | Time | Path length | Width[note 2] | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F0 | Treasure Island | Pinellas | FL | 27°46′N82°46′W / 27.77°N 82.77°W /27.77; -82.77 (Treasure Island (March 13, F0)) | 05:00–? | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | $50,000 |
| A waterspout moved onshore, damaging several homes and some boats. One of the homes was unroofed.[25][38] | ||||||||
| F0 | New Port Richey | Pasco | FL | 28°15′N82°43′W / 28.25°N 82.72°W /28.25; -82.72 (New Port Richey (March 13, F0)) | 05:04–? | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | — |
| A tornado damaged homes, slightly injuring 11 people.[25][39] | ||||||||
| F2 | Ocala | Marion | FL | 29°05′N82°14′W / 29.08°N 82.23°W /29.08; -82.23 (Ocala (March 13, F2)) | 05:20–05:37 | 15 mi (24 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | $50,000,000 |
| Forming over woods, this tornado hit theOcala Airport, destroying or damaging three hangars there. It splintered trees before hitting an industrial park, damaging a warehouse and other buildings.[34][25][40] | ||||||||
| F1 | N ofLaCrosse | Alachua | FL | 29°51′N82°24′W / 29.85°N 82.4°W /29.85; -82.4 (LaCrosse (March 13, F1)) | 05:20–? | 0.8 mi (1.3 km) | 60 yd (55 m) | $5,000,000 |
| 1 death – This tornado destroyed some frame homes, while downing power lines and trees. The death occurred in a trailer, along with four injuries.[34][25][41] | ||||||||
| F2 | NW ofHowey-in-the-Hills toMount Dora to E ofForest City | Lake | FL | 28°41′N81°46′W / 28.68°N 81.77°W /28.68; -81.77 (Howey-in-the-Hills (March 13, F2)) | 05:30–? | 30 mi (48 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | $5,000,000 |
| 1 death – This narrow, swift tornado destroyed or damaged 359 homes, killing a person in a trailer. 60 injuries occurred.[34][25][42] | ||||||||
| F0 | Tampa | Hillsborough | FL | 27°59′N82°28′W / 27.98°N 82.47°W /27.98; -82.47 (Tampa (March 13, F0)) | 05:30–? | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | $500 |
| A waterspout hit a yacht club atDavis Islands, lofting a 23-foot-long (7.0 m) sailboat 300 ft (91 m), casting a dozen others against a seawall, and pushing five boats off their cradles.[25] | ||||||||
| F1 | Jacksonville (1st tornado) | Duval | FL | 30°21′N81°40′W / 30.35°N 81.67°W /30.35; -81.67 (Jacksonville #1 (March 13, F1)) | 06:00–? | 0.8 mi (1.3 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | $5,000,000 |
| This tornado destroyed or damaged 20 homes.[25][43] | ||||||||
| F0 | S ofBartow to S ofLakeland | Polk | FL | 27°53′N81°50′W / 27.88°N 81.83°W /27.88; -81.83 (Bartow (March 13, F0)) | 06:00–06:10 | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | $500 |
| This tornado broke off trees and dislodged doors.[25][44] | ||||||||
| F0 | Jacksonville (2nd tornado) | Duval | FL | 30°21′N81°40′W / 30.35°N 81.67°W /30.35; -81.67 (Jacksonville #2 (March 13, F0)) | 06:10–? | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | $500,000 |
| Developing nearJacksonville Airport, this tornado splintered trees. It then hit the airport, damaging service vehicles and jetways, while moving aBoeing 737 40 ft (12 m).[25][45] | ||||||||
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