The Superstorm of 1993- Shah, Zakei

 

Zakei Shah

Mrs. Tuorto

Meteorology 

Block 2

                                 The Storm Of The Century 

       This storm occurred on March 12, 1993. It could be seen as the deadliest weather event of the 20th century and it devastated the eastern coast of North America during March 12-14. It killed more than 250 people as it moved from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, and it had tremendous snowfall amounts. The storm began as a low-pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico, but then as it moved northward it strengthened. The development of deep thunderstorms over the gulf added fuel to the strengthening system. This contributed to the storm being as bad as it was. During the height of the storm, snowfall rates of 2-3 inches per hour occurred. Other than the snow, 15 tornadoes struck Florida which contributed to 44 deaths and a 12-foot storm surge which resulted in 7 deaths. The brutal weather conditions caused every major interstate highway and airport to be closed sometime during the storm along the Eastern Seaboard. There was enough volume of water to flood the entire state of Missouri 1 foot deep. It was unusual for the storm to strike when it did, but poor analyzing took some lives. The tools and the warning system  back then weren’t perfect. The intensity of the low and the resulting storm surge was not fully captured by the storm surge as the superstorm strengthened. There were no new laws created, and no lasting weather effects, but the storm caused $5.5 billion in damage.