Lake Superior, 2008

Marine Strong Wind in Lake Superior, August 23, 2008

August 23, 2008 · NWS MQT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong west winds gusting in excess of 30 knots at times whipped up high waves over Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Superior on the 23rd. The high waves sank a 16-foot fishing boat which claimed the life of a Laurium man.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MQT wrote it up.

Strong west winds gusting in excess of 30 knots at times whipped up high waves over Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Superior on the 23rd. The high waves sank a 16-foot fishing boat which claimed the life of a Laurium man.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 marine strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Marine Strong Wind, Point Isabelle to Lower Entrance of Portage Canal Mi

When
August 23, 10:37 AM EST to 10:42 AM EST
Where
Point Isabelle to Lower Entrance of Portage Canal Mi forecast zone, 3.25 mi WNW of Traverse Point
Measured
32 kt (37 mph) estimated gust
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
47.189, -88.233

Strong west winds kicked up high waves during a fishing tournament in Grand Traverse Bay on the 23rd. The high waves sank a 16-foot fishing boat claiming the life of a 42 year-old Laurium man. Two other fisherman from the boat were rescued as they struggled to stay afloat in the rough waters.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Marine Strong Wind, Point Isabelle to Lower Entrance of Portage Canal Mi2008-08-2342MaleBoatingDirect

What these are

Marine Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds of 34 to 47 knots over water.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Lake Superior in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather history

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 131570.