The Storm of Century

The storm that is referred to as the “Storm of the Century” formed in the Gulf of Mexico in March of 1993 and began to stretch out over the whole of the southern United States. It dropped major amounts of snow in the south as well as triggering a large number of tornadoes that caused a great deal of damage.

Looking at how the storm behaved and how hard some areas were hit can be of great help to families today who must consider how to prepare for weather that they could never foresee.

In 1993, there were as many as 11 tornadoes tearing apart the area between Tampa and Orlando. Tampa was hit especially hard and dozens of people were killed. The damage numbered in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and the city had not seen devastation like this before. Because of the unique nature of the storm, most people in Tampa did not know what to do. The winds were so strong that it was akin to a category 2 hurricane, but hurricanes do not form in the Atlantic in March.

How Should People Have Prepared for Tornadoes?

If you found yourself in a similar situation, I would recommend preparing for a storm like this by treating it like a hurricane. When severe winds and rain are coming your way, it is best for you to board up your windows and prepare for rains to come in. If you are asked to evacuate your home, you should do so. However, the windows must be boarded and your exterior doors should be locked down to help prevent water from rushing into the house.

When you are riding out the storm or you cannot evacuate in time, you need to have a place in the house where your family can stay that is safe from flood waters and away from windows. It is best for your family to have food, supplies, flashlights, a hand-crank radio and anything else that will help the family ride out a storm that could take several days to pass.

Be Ready For Anything When Disaster Hits Your Home

When your family is preparing to deal with major storms that could happen, you need to put blankets and sleeping bags along with flashlights, food and other supplies in a safe spot in the home. This means that these supplies could sit there for months or even years at a time, but you will be thankful for these supplies if unexpected weather events tear through your area.

Looking back at historic storms such as the Storm of the Century can be fascinating as well as provide motivation to get prepared for a storm that could be on the horizon. With some basic preparation, you can feel confident that you will be able to weather any weather, from common rainstorms to rare, powerful storms that you may not expect.