The Storm of the Century

The March 1993 "Storm of the Century" hit Florida's gulf coast late on Friday, March 12, 1993, and continued to pound Florida and neighboring states on Saturday. What made it the Storm of the Century? To Floridians, it was a "no-name" March hurricane with wind gusts of over 90 mph, tornadoes, and a deadly storm surge. It was, however, much larger than a hurricane. Residents further north dubbed it "The Blizzard of the Century." A blizzard like no other, dropping temperatures, dumping snow, breaking trees, and knocking out power across a wide swath from Alabama and Georgia to Maine.

The Superstorm caused more than $2 billion in property damage in 22 eastern U.S. states. The majority of the property damage happened in Florida. With less than 100 direct casualties, advanced warnings saved lives, with half of them on vessels in seas as high as 65 feet. Another 118 people died as a result of indirect causes, with many of them dying during the post-storm cleanup.

Computer models predicted a rapid development of intense low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico five days in advance. It was initially difficult to believe that a weak low-pressure area could rapidly deepen to levels much lower than expected. Some forecasters referred to the storm as a "meteorological bomb"! The numerical forecast models continued to show the same unbelievable development throughout the week. But it was happening. The arctic, polar, and subtropical jet streams were merging upstream, and a deep flow of tropical moisture was coming north from the Caribbean Sea over the Gulf of Mexico. These combining factors set the clock for the upcoming explosion.

As it moved onshore, the fast-moving squall line produced 59,000 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. As the storm moved across the state, at least 11 tornadoes were reported. The F2 tornado near Chiefland in Levy County killed three people. Tornadoes also killed people in Alachua and Lake Counties. The Superstorm caused an unprecedented storm surge of up to 12 feet in Taylor County, which is located in the Florida Big Bend, north of Tampa Bay. Thirteen people drowned as a result of the surge.

Type: Extratropical cyclone Superstorm Nor'easter Blizzard Tornado outbreak Derecho Ice storm Gulf low
Formed: March 12, 1993
Dissipated: March 14, 1993
Fatalities: 318 fatalities
Damage: $5.5 billion (1993 USD)
Power outages: > 10,000,000
Areas affected: Eastern United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, Bermuda