The winds howled as the storm moved north with the strongest recorded wind gusts at these locations: These merging factors set the timer for the impending explosion. Upstream, the arctic, polar and subtropical jet streams were merging and a deep flow of tropical moisture over the Gulf of Mexico was coming north from the Caribbean Sea. Some forecasters used the term “meteorological bomb”! As the week went on, the numerical forecast models continued showing the same unbelievable development. It was initially difficult to believe that a weak low pressure area could deepen to much lower pressures in such short a period of time. Another 118 people perished from indirect causes with many dying during the post storm cleanup.įive days in advance, computer models were forecasting a rapid development of intense low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico.
Advanced warnings saved lives with less than 100 direct casualties – half of whom were on vessels in seas estimated as high as 65 feet. Most of the property damage occurred in Florida. The Superstorm produced over $2 billion in property damage across portions of 22 eastern U.S. To residents farther north it was called “The Blizzard of the Century” A blizzard like few had seen that dropped temperatures, dumped snow, broke trees, and knocked out power over a wide swath from Alabama and Georgia to Maine. Why was it called the Storm of the Century? To Florida residents, it was a "no-name" March hurricane creating wind gusts over 90 mph, tornadoes, and a devastatingly deadly storm surge.
The March 1993 “Storm of the Century” struck the gulf coast of Florida late on Friday Maand continued slamming Florida and states to the north on Saturday. Images on this page can be magnified (enlarged) by left clicking on them, and resized back to original size with a second click.
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