ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Great Lakes Storm of 1913

Okay kiddo, do you know what the Great Lakes are? They are five big lakes in North America that are right next to each other on the border of the United States and Canada. Well, in 1913, there was a really, really big storm that hit the Great Lakes. It was so big, they called it the Great Lakes Storm of 1913.

Now, when there's a storm, there's a lot of wind and a lot of rain or snow. The wind and waves in the Great Lakes can be very strong and dangerous, kind of like a big bathtub with a lot of water moving around. And this storm was extra strong. It lasted for four days, from Nov. 7 to Nov. 11, and it hit all five of the Great Lakes at the same time!

The storm was caused by a big difference in temperature between the cold air coming down from Canada and the warm air from the south. When these two different air types met, it caused a big and powerful storm. The winds were so strong that they reached speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, that's faster than a car on the highway!

The storm was so scary that many ships on the Great Lakes were destroyed. Over 250 people died, and it was the deadliest storm in the history of the Great Lakes. Many of the ships that sank were carrying people or cargo, and they were trying to get to their destinations before the storm hit. The waves in the lakes were as high as 35 feet, which is taller than a three-story building.

The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 was a very sad time in history. It taught us that we need to be very careful when we travel on the water, especially when there's a big storm. Nowadays, we have better weather forecasting and more safety measures, so we can make sure that we don't have another storm as bad as the one in 1913.