PHOTO COURTESY OF PORT OF LUDINGTON MARITIME MUSEUM
November 11, 2020, marked the 80th anniversary of the Armistice Day storm — an unexpected and deadly storm that claimed over 150 lives across the country, 64 of them on Lake Michigan, where the epicenter of the maritime component of the storm settled.
To commemorate the event and record the history of that day, the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum opened a new exhibit called the Armistice Day Storm. The exhibit takes you through the events of the storm, from start to finish, starting in Washington state and working through until the hazardous and deadly conditions on Lake Michigan.
“It tells an amazing story that needed to be told of our area,” says Rebecca Berringer, Mason County Historical Society executive director, according to Ludington Daily News. “It gives you chills to read the story.”
The exhibit, which marked its opening on November 11, introduces the day’s history by detailing the stories of the people and boats involved and providing a map showing wave height and vessel location. As you make your way through the day’s history, the air around you cools and the lights dim to help mimic the effects of the storm. The exhibit even includes an interactive station where you can get behind the wheel and experience the turbulent conditions.
While the museum is now closed for the season — opening only one day for the anniversary of the storm — the exhibit will be available once the museum reopens for the 2021 season.
To read more, visit shorelinemedia.net/ludington_daily_news.
