MARQUETTE, MI-- Monitoring buoys owned by Northern Michigan University recorded record-breaking statistics during Tuesday’s storm.
Buoys at Granite Island, Munising, and Stannard Rock recorded 28.8-foot waves and hurricane-force wind gusts.
NMU’s project to operate buoys along the southeastern shore of Lake Superior began in 2015 with a grant from the Great Lakes Observing System. Officials say real-time, precise data was used Tuesday by the National Weather Service, U.S. Coast Guard, and other entities.
The buoy near Granite Island is one component of NMU’s new Granite Island Living Laboratory Program. It’s a cooperative effort with Lentic Environmental Services and the Superior Watershed Partnership, which owns the Stannard Rock Light. The program is designed to enrich large-lake research and provide education and training opportunities for NMU students and SWP partners.