WHITE HURRICANE November gales are a curse on the Great Lakes. In 1835, a storm was said to have “swept the lakes with all sail”. Lake Erie was buffeted by 60 mph winds on November 22 and 23, 1874. On November 25, 1905, a November gale sank or stranded more than 16 ships. On November 11, 1940 (Armistice Storm), a storm destroyed 12 ships. The giant bulk carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a gale in November 1975. The Great Lakes have nearly 5,000 recorded shipwrecks, starting with The Griffin in 1679 on Lake Michigan. In November, it is common for two storms to converge on the Great Lakes. When this happens, a storm moves southeast from Alberta; the other brings Rocky Mountain weather. This convergence is commonly called the “November gale”. One hundred years ago, in November 1913, a snowstorm with hurricane-force winds hit the Great Lakes. The storm produced 90 mph wind gusts, 35-foot waves and white snow squalls. It was the deadliest and most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the region. The cargo ships disappeared without a trace. A deceptive lull in the storm and slow weather reporting contributed to the storm's effect. The financial loss from the ships alone was almost $5 million, or about $100 million in today's value. The lost cargo amounted to approximately 68,300 tons, including coal, iron ore and grain, steel rails, lumber and wheat. At least 255 sailors died, 44 on Lake Superior, 7 on Lake Michigan, 6 on Lake Erie and 178 on Lake Huron. Two ships were lost on Lake Superior, 1 on Lake Michigan, 8 on Lake Huron (3 of which were Canadian ships). ), and 1 on Lake Erie. ...... middle of newspaper ...... to Toronto, where he heard of her "death". Thinking it would be a really good joke, he didn't tell his family and friends and attended his own funeral. The unidentified sailor was buried with four other unknown souls. Shipping companies and shipbuilders have worked with insurers and mariners to design safer ships with greater stability and longitudinal strength. The storm proved that the Great Lake Straight Bridges were underpowered. Numerous complaints were made to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Weather Bureau. This has resulted in an increased effort to obtain more accurate weather forecasts and more timely communication of storm warnings. End of Article, Bio Follows ROGER MEYER is a Michigan-based writer who specializes in writing about the outdoors and World War II. His 200 magazine articles have appeared in more than 80 publications.