15 Times the Weather Went Totally Bonkers in the ’80s and ’90s
The 1980s and 1990s saw some of the wildest, most destructive weather events in history, from monster hurricanes and freak ice storms to tornadoes that shattered records and blizzards that buried entire cities.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
The 1980s and 1990s released some of the most powerful and unpredictable weather phenomena ever to strike the planet, ranging from record-breaking hurricanes and destructive tornado outbreaks to bizarre ice storms and blizzards that crippled entire regions. These two decades witnessed the full fury of nature, with events such as Hurricane Andrew, the 1998 Ice Storm, and the “Storm of the Century” transforming communities and redrawing weather books. Each disaster is a poignant reminder of the strength and capriciousness of the climate of our planet.
1. The Super Outbreak of Tornadoes (April 2–4, 1982)
Image from National Weather Service
More than 60 tornadoes ripped through the mid-U.S., leaving trails of devastation in states such as Mississippi, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Several of the twisters were F4 strength, destroying whole towns. The outbreak resulted in 30 fatalities and millions of dollars in damages.
2. The Bitter Cold of January 1985
Image from ABC7 Chicago
A vicious Arctic chill drove temperatures down everywhere in the U.S., shattering records from the Midwest to the Deep South. Chicago registered -27°F (-33°C), and Jackson, Mississippi, reached -5°F (-21°C). Florida even experienced a taste of the cold, with snow flurries observed in Tampa.
3. The Great Salt Lake Floods (1983–1984)
Image from Seven Canyons Trust
Utah’s Great Salt Lake flooded to its historic high after several years of dense snowpack and fast spring meltdown. Roadways and railroad tracks were inundated, causing emergency pumps to pull water from the lake. Even the state constructed a giant, temporary pumping plant just to keep the city of Salt Lake from becoming a swamp.
4. Hurricane Gilbert (September 1988)
Image from National Weather Service
One of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, Gilbert struck Jamaica, Mexico, and the United States with winds of 185 mph. The storm caused $5.5 billion in damage and killed 318 individuals. Its pressure fell to 888 MB, making it one of the strongest hurricanes in history at the time.
5. The Chicago Heat Wave of 1988
Image from AccuWeather
A steady heat wave charred the Midwest in July 1988, sending Chicago temperatures above 100°F (37°C) for days. It parched crops and helped make it one of the worst in U.S. history. The heat killed more than 5,000 nationally.
6. The “Storm of the Century” (March 1993)
Image from Wikipedia
This historic blizzard crippled the Eastern U.S. with hurricane-force winds, historic snowfalls, and fatal storm surges. Florida experienced unusual snow, and Alabama experienced tornadoes and a blizzard in the same storm system. The mayhem resulted in more than 300 deaths and $9 billion in damages.
7. The Deadly 1987 Edmonton Tornado
Image from Wikipedia
A powerful F4 tornado ripped through Edmonton, Canada, on July 31, 1987, tearing apart neighborhoods and killing 27 people. Winds reached 260 mph (420 km/h), turning cars into missiles. The storm scarred the city, marking one of Canada’s worst tornado disasters.
8. Hurricane Andrew (August 1992)
Image from Wikipedia
This Category 5 behemoth devastated South Florida with 165 mph winds, leaving neighborhoods in ruins. Damage totaled more than $27 billion, making it one of the most expensive hurricanes in history at that time. The hurricane spawned colossal reforms in Florida building codes and disaster preparedness.
9. The Mount Pinatubo Eruption & Global Cooling (1991)
Image from Eos.org
When Mount Pinatubo blew its top in the Philippines, it released so much ash and sulfur dioxide into the air that it cooled the entire world. Global temperatures cooled by almost 1°F (0.5°C) over the next two years. The eruption, the largest of the 20th century, also displaced more than 200,000 people.
10. The 1982–83 El Niño That Drenched California
Image from Surfline
A strong El Niño storm generated some of California’s worst flooding. Pounding storms dumped inches of rain within hours, sending landslides that engulfed houses. The mayhem caused more than $1 billion in damage and several fatalities.
11. The Tri-State Derecho of 1998
Image from WWMT
A line of monstrous storms, known as a derecho, tore through South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin with winds of up to 128 mph. Trees were broken like sticks, power was out for days, and whole cities resembled war zones. The storm came so quickly that many did not have time to respond before it hit.
12. The January 1998 Ice Storm in Canada & the U.S.
Image from NOAA VLab
A ferocious ice storm buried Ontario, Quebec, and the northeastern U.S. in three inches of ice, downing power lines and felling trees. As the ice weight broke infrastructure, more than 4 million were left without power, some for weeks. The disaster is one of the most expensive in Canadian history.
13. The 1985 Mexico City Hailstorm
Image from NBC News
Within hours, a freak hailstorm dropped so much ice on Mexico City that it resembled a winter wonderland. Roads became rivers of ice, and buildings collapsed from the hail’s weight. The storm was so severe that individuals had to be dug out of their automobiles with shovels.
14. The “Halloween Storm” of 1991
Image from National Weather Service
Also known as “The Perfect Storm,” this storm combined a nor’easter, Hurricane Grace, and an Arctic cold front into a single huge, fatal occurrence. Waves higher than 100 feet pounded the Atlantic and capsized ships—among them the famous Andrea Gail, as portrayed in The Perfect Storm book and film. The storm registered damage of more than $200 million and took 13 lives.
15. The 1999 Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak
Image from Wikipedia
On May 3, 1999, the deadliest tornado on record tore through Moore, Oklahoma. The F5 tornado, which included gusts over 318 mph, was the highest on record to that point. Neighborhoods were reduced to nothing, and the storm generated $1 billion in damages, laying the groundwork for more research into severe weather.