The White Hurricane

The Great Storm of 1913

Date Visited:  August 3, 2019

Stop:  #35

We have heard a lot in my recent blogs about the Great Fires that hit this region of Michigan in the 1860’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s.  But one of the most catastrophic natural phenomena to hit the area was the Great Storm of 1913.  This was the topic of the next historical maker on our quest as we set out from the Loop-Harrison House.  The marker is located on the east side of South Lakeshore Road (M-25) about 460 ft. north of E. Washington Road and about 1.5 miles south of the Loop-Harrison House.  It is located in a roadside park that overlooks Lake Huron. 

The Great Storm of 1913 is regarded by many as one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in the history of the United States.  It is known by other names – the White Hurricane, the Frozen Fury, and the Big Blow being among them.  All told, the storm killed more than 250 people, destroyed 19 ships, and stranded 19 others.  Financial losses for just the vessels alone exceeded $5,000,000 (over $123M in today’s dollars).  Winds gusts exceeded 100 mph in some parts, and were sustainable at over 70 mph for much of the region, creating waves that exceeded 35 feet in height.  For 16 straight hours, the area was pummeled by 70 mph winds – most November gales last no more than 4 hours.  It was accompanied by rain, ice, and blizzard-like snow conditions.

The storm was actually the convergence of 2 separate systems, one coming out of the north (an Alberta clipper), and one coming out of the southwest (a Colorado low).  When the two fronts collided over the warm water of the Great Lakes, it created an intense November gale.  The storm was first noticed on November 6 along the western shore of Lake Superior.  As the storm moved eastward and southward over the next couple of days, it grew in intensity.  By November 9, the storm was in full throttle, but not before several ship’s captains had made a fatal decision.

As November 9 dawned, the intensity of the storm had ebbed and there was a lull in the weather.  Thinking the worst of the storm was over, many ship’s captains decided to continue their respective runs before the shipping channels closed for the winter season.  What the captains did not know was that a low-pressure system coming out of the southeast was on a collision course with the original storm front.  By evening, the counter-clockwise winds of the low-pressure system fueled the winds already coming out of the north and created a meteorological “weather bomb.”  The southern portion of Lake Huron (below Alpena) was devastated by the wrath of this storm.  Ships already out on the water were blasted by the hurricane force winds and the accompanying 35-foot waves, with many rolling over and sinking.  Even those ships that decided to hug the shoreline could not escape the storm’s fury – many ran aground, while others rolled over and sunk as well.

By Monday morning, November 10, the storm had moved inland to London, Ontario.  It dumped 17 inches of additional snow on Cleveland, Ohio, and with the wind still howling, created 6-foot drifts throughout the city.  By Tuesday, November 11, with warm water from the Great Lakes no longer fueling the storm system, the Great Storm of 1913 petered out.  In its wake, 12 ships had sunk.  To this day, 3 of them have not been found - Leafield, Plymouth, and James Carruthers.  The most recent ship found was the Hydrus, located in 2015.  As I researched this storm, there were two images that left an indelible impression on me and exemplified the destructive nature of this storm:   one was of the Charles S. Price, floundering upside down on the southern end of Lake Huron, and the other was of dead sailors from the Wexford washed ashore on a beach near Goderich, Ontario.

The historical marker at this location commemorates this storm.  Lake Huron was the hardest hit of the 4 Great Lakes that were impacted by the storm.  All told, 8 ships sunk in Lake Huron, and all 178 sailors perished with them.  This sign serves as a reminder of how powerful, and how deadly, these storms can be.  Anyone who is not familiar with the Great Lakes often times cannot comprehend this (afterall, they’re LAKES, not OCEANS!!), but to the residents of Michigan and the other Great Lake states, the Great Storm of 1913 is still remembered and talked about to this day.

 #michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine