With a headline like that, you might think I'm talking about one of the three snow storms we've had over the past year or even the Christmas snow that dumped 13" on Myrtle Beach in 1989. While these were all big storms, nothing compares to the great Blizzard of 1973. What a doozie!
38 years ago today, heavy snow fell across most of the state for a solid 24 hours. The snow came so fast and furious that thousands of motorists were stranded on interstates and highways and had to be rescued by helicopter. Unfortunately, 9 people lost their lives and thousands of roofs collapsed under the enormous weight of the snow.
For many cities across the Pee Dee and Midlands, there has never been more snow in a 24 hour period. Here are some of the state's snowfall totals from that epic storm:
24" Rimini
21" Manning
18" Darlington
17" Lake City
17" Florence
16" Columbia
15" Marion
15" Summerville
15" McColl
15" Aiken
13" Kingstree
12" Conway
10" Murrels Inlet
7" Charleston
6" Beaufort
4" Rock Hil
2" Hilton Head
Check out this video from Sumter, SC. It aired a few years ago when we presented the area's top 10 weather events:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XPq3wgsKEA
Amazingly, other places in the deep south also received several inches of snow. Austin, TX - 1", San Antonio, TX - 2", New Orleans, LA - 1", Pensacola, FL - 2", Mobile, AL - 4" and Cape Hatteras with 4"
Thank goodness winter storms of this magnitude are extraordinarily rare. It'll make you think twice before saying "Let it Snow"!
I was only 6 years old and in 1st grade in Willingboro, NJ so I didn't experience this winter storm. Did you? If so, leave a comment with your story. If you have photos, feel free to upload them here at CarolinaLive.com, on my facebook page, "Ed Piotrowski WPDE" or send them to me at WPDEWeather@gmail.com
