The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 occurred in November 1913.
The storm was a powerful extratropical cyclone that struck the Great Lakes region from 7 to 10 November. It produced hurricane-force winds, blizzard conditions, and enormous waves across several lakes, overwhelming ships and coastal communities.
More than 250 people died, and 19 ships were lost or seriously damaged. The disaster remains one of the deadliest weather events in the history of the Great Lakes. Lake Huron experienced especially severe losses, although the storm affected much of the interconnected lake system.
The event helped drive improvements in weather forecasting, storm warnings, ship design, and navigation practices. It is sometimes called the “Big Blow,” but that nickname should not obscure its precise historical date: the catastrophe occurred in 1913, not during the later Edmund Fitzgerald disaster of 1975.