It shouldn't be forgotten the vast improvements in weather forecasting that have been accomplished in the last 40+ years.
In the Carl D. Bradley and Daniel J. Morrell storms, the numerical weather models were very primitive as compared to today and didn't event take into account the boundary layer above the lakes that can result in higher wind gusts being mixed down to the lake surface. In fact, the model at the time treated the Great Lakes as nonexistent! It didn't take into account the heat storage of the lakes in the Fall and how that provided energy for the deepening of some mid-latitude cyclones moving over the Great Lakes.
It was a bit better by 1975 in that we had an improved numerical weather prediction model. but it only had three grid points over Lake Superior.
In the years following the Edmund Fitzgerald's loss, weather forecasting was improved with weather buoys being deployed to the lakes; while the failure to correctly forecast the rapid intensification of the Presidents' Day Storm of 1979 provided the impetus by government and academia to study and improve the numerical weather prediction models at that time, and that process continues to this day. Vast improvements in computer power has also been of great benefit, as the models can be run at much finer resolutions.
I compiled a list of ships that suffered hull damage while operating in storms:
John O. McKellar - Lake Superior - December 9, 1960 - cracked deck
Daniel J. Morrell - Lake Huron - November 29, 1966 - hull fracture leading to loss complete break of hull and loss of vessel
Edward Y. Townsend - Lake Huron - November 29, 1966 - cracks in deck, hull and internals.
John O. McKellar - Lake Superior - October 17, 1980 - cracks in shell plating, tank tops, etc.
Elton Hoyt 2nd - Lake Huron - December 1983 - Deck fracture
Silver Isle - Lake Superior - April 30, 1984 - hull cracks from main deck to top of sidetanks.
Back in October 1975, David Groh presented a paper on the Interim Great Lakes Strength Standard at a SNAME symposium, which makes for some interesting reading:
http://www.shipstructure.org/pdf/75symp09.pdf
It shouldn't be forgotten the vast improvements in weather forecasting that have been accomplished in the last 40+ years.
In the Carl D. Bradley and Daniel J. Morrell storms, the numerical weather models were very primitive as compared to today and didn't event take into account the boundary layer above the lakes that can result in higher wind gusts being mixed down to the lake surface. In fact, the model at the time treated the Great Lakes as nonexistent! It didn't take into account the heat storage of the lakes in the Fall and how that provided energy for the deepening of some mid-latitude cyclones moving over the Great Lakes.
It was a bit better by 1975 in that we had an improved numerical weather prediction model. but it only had three grid points over Lake Superior.
In the years following the Edmund Fitzgerald's loss, weather forecasting was improved with weather buoys being deployed to the lakes; while the failure to correctly forecast the rapid intensification of the Presidents' Day Storm of 1979 provided the impetus by government and academia to study and improve the numerical weather prediction models at that time, and that process continues to this day. Vast improvements in computer power has also been of great benefit, as the models can be run at much finer resolutions.
I compiled a list of ships that suffered hull damage while operating in storms:
John O. McKellar - Lake Superior - December 9, 1960 - cracked deck
Daniel J. Morrell - Lake Huron - November 29, 1966 - hull fracture leading to loss complete break of hull and loss of vessel
Edward Y. Townsend - Lake Huron - November 29, 1966 - cracks in deck, hull and internals.
John O. McKellar - Lake Superior - October 17, 1980 - cracks in shell plating, tank tops, etc.
Elton Hoyt 2nd - Lake Huron - December 1983 - Deck fracture
Silver Isle - Lake Superior - April 30, 1984 - hull cracks from main deck to top of sidetanks.
Back in October 1975, David Groh presented a paper on the Interim Great Lakes Strength Standard at a SNAME symposium, which makes for some interesting reading: http://www.shipstructure.org/pdf/75symp09.pdf