31 years ago, the 'Storm of the Century' hit NC
On March 13, 1993, the storm of the century made its way to North Carolina. The track covered more than 550,000 square miles, impacting nearly 120 million people and closing every major airport on the East Coast at one time or another.
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On March 13, 1993, the storm of the century made its way to North Carolina.
The track covered more than 550,000 square miles, impacting nearly 120 million people. The storm closed every major airport on the East Coast at one time or another throughout its duration.
The low formed in the Gulf of Mexico on March 12. It raced to the northeast and brought wind, snow and even storm surge to North Carolina on March 13.
This massive storm caused approximately $5.5 billion in damages ($11.5 billion in 2022 dollars), according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. America’s “Storm of the Century,” as it would become known, swept from the Deep South all the way up the East Coast.
"During the height of the storm, snowfall rates of 2–3 inches per hour occurred," according to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). "Wind-driven sleet also fell on parts of the East Coast, with central New Jersey reporting 2.5 inches of sleet on top of 12 inches of snow—creating somewhat of an 'ice-cream sandwich' effect. Up to six inches of snow even blanketed portions of the Florida Panhandle.
"In addition to the snow, an estimated 15 tornadoes struck Florida, with 44 deaths attributed to either the tornadoes or other severe weather in the state."
Western NC got hit hard with snow and wind. Central NC had a little bit of snow and strong winds, and eastern NC had strong winds and storm surge.
The strongest wind gust was at Frying Pan Shoals at 93mph. That's the strength of a strong category 1 hurricane. We had a gust of 55 mph in Fayetteville and 41 mph gust in Raleigh.
The NCEI said there was 50 inches of snowfall with 14-foot drifts at Mount Mitchell in North Carolina.
"The storm’s snowfall isolated thousands of people, especially in the Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia mountains," the NCEI said. "Workers rescued over 200 hikers from the North Carolina and Tennessee mountains.
Snow remained on the ground there until April 12. We only had a trace of snow in Fayetteville and .9" of snow at RDU. NC State Highway Patrol reported over 2,700 traffic accidents.
The NCEI said this storm is the country’s second-most costly winter storm to date.
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