Since there was some discussion of this earlier I thought I would post this for anyone interested:
A Second Look at Sinking of Edmund Fitzgerald
Those of a certain age will probably recall Gordon Lightfoots 1976 hit, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The song immortalized the 729-foot lake freighter, Edmund Fitzgerald, which went down with 29 crew members during a November 1975 gale on Lake Superior. As reported in this months cover article of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, and in a recent publication of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association, which represents NOAAs marine engineers, NOAA scientists combined meteorological observations from the storm with hindcasts (forecasts run in retrospect) of conditions throughout the storm. The hindcasts indicated the key six-hour window that proved fatal to the ship and crew. Hindcasts help meteorologists better understand historical events, which also may improve forecasts.
Although a lack of surface weather observations made it difficult to determine the actual conditions, NOAA scientists used high-resolution numerical computer models to simulate a more complete picture of wind and wave conditions during the storm. One of the models used was the Wind-Wave Model developed by NOAAs Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor. Scientists found that winds exceeded 69 mph, waves topped 25 feet, and there were hurricane-force gusts. This research was conducted by Thomas Hultquist, of the National Weather Services forecast office in Negaunee, Michigan; Michael Dutter, of the Cleveland forecast office; and David Schwab, of the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mqt/fitzgerald/
Don't let it happen again.
