The March 1993 Super Storm

The Super Storm of March 1993 would be known as the "Storm of the Century" because of the havoc and devastation it brought. By March 2, 1993 National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorologists had already predicted a significant storm using numerical weather prediction models and other meteorology tools. This was the first time a storm of such magnitude was predicted 5 days prior to its occurrence. The storm was a culmination of 3 different weather patterns, which were only fueled by rapid wind, temperature contrasts, and thunderstorms off the Texas Gulf Coast. On the midnight of March 13th, the storm reached land, bringing severe thunderstorms, turbulent winds, and tornadoes to the Florida Panhandle. The storm would soon bring its intensity from Florida to Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, and the Virginias. On the afternoon of March 13th the storm would reach the Northeast. At sea, the storm was powerful enough to sink the 200 foot Honduran freighter, the Fantastico. On land, it would bring heavy snowfall and flooding to many areas. The snowfall was so intense that Boone, North Carolina had 21 inches of snow. The aftermath of the storm is astounding. There was over 6 billion dollars worth of damage done to property and an estimated 10 million people were somehow affected by the storm. There were 318 fatalities, most of which were located in the southern part of the storm's course.