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Edmund Fitzgerald - Gitche Gumee

Date 9-18-05

There has been considerable debate over the past three decades concerning the specific cause of the loss of the ship Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on 10 November 1975, but there is little question that weather played a role in the disaster.

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On November 9 at 7 p.m. the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a gale warning for Lake Superior. Gale wind speeds range from 34-40 knots. The NWS predicted east to northeasterly winds during the night, shifting to NW to N and by the afternoon of November 10.
At approximately 10:40 p.m. the NWS revised its forecast for eastern Lake Superior to easterly winds becoming southeasterly the morning of the 10th.
At 2:00 am November 10 the NWS upgraded the gale warning to a storm warning (winds 48-55 knots) with a prediction of "northeast winds 35 to 50 knots becoming northwesterly 28 to 38 knots.
Monday, waves 8 to 15 feet".
At 2:00 a.m. the Captains of the Anderson and Fitzgerald discussed the threatening weather and decided to change their route. This safer route would take them northward, toward the coast of Canada. The northern route would protect them from the waves that the storm generated. See Chart below.

Temperature & Wind
(ºF) & (MPH)

The most probable tracks and positions of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Arthur M. Anderson based upon reports of their position and information contained in the National Transporation Safety Board (NTSB) Marine Accident Report (1978). Final position of the Edmund Fitzgerald is 46.99 N., 85.11 W.

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