On November 10th, 1975, one of the greatest maritime tragedies in the Great Lakes occurred when the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.
We’re going to take a quick look back at exactly what happened and maybe decipher why the boat sank.
The Fitzgerald’s final trip timeline and path
It was departing from Superior, Wisconsin, hauling taconite. On the morning of November 9th, the boat continued to move to the northeast throughout Lake Superior.
(The crew) knew that (a) storm system was coming across the lake.
(The ship) took a wide turn around the lake and into the northern part of Lake Superior, close to Canada, when it was overtaken by (a) low-pressure system.
As the boat continued moving to its destination near Detroit, it kind of skimmed this little island (in the middle of Lake Superior), known as Caribou Island. At this point in time, this is when the boat sank, and this is where it sank.
The “Gales of November” play a role in the disaster
The winds around a low-pressure center move counterclockwise.
(In the case of the Fitzgerald that meant), all the winds from the west side of the lake were pretty much being pushed due east and ended up hitting the (Edmund) Fitzgerald pretty square with 30-to-35-foot waves with a very long fetch.
Fetch is the distance that the waves travel on the lake, which is why it could not quite make it to its destination in Detroit and actually sank 15 miles from (shelter in) Whitefish Bay.
It is thought that one or more rogue waves hit the Edmund Fitzgerald. Wave height is constrained by the fact that the wind can blow across the waters of Lake Superior.
While the significant wave height is generally what is observed and recorded, it is important to note that rare peak waves can be as much as twice the height of significant waves.
Advancements in technology help to reduce the likelihood of future disasters
Another area of important research is in rapidly strengthening low-pressure systems, such as the one associated with Fitzgerald’s storm.
As a result of this research, forecast (have) gained a better understanding of the effects of jet stream winds on the development of strengthening low-pressure systems.
This advanced knowledge allows today’s Meteorologists to provide more accurate and detailed forecasts.
One of the important improvements in marine technology since 1975 is the significant increase in the number of real-time observations.
In 1975, there were no data buoys on the Great Lakes, nor any data from automated stations.
