September 3: Heavy Rains
September is one of the wettest months of the year as the main storm track begins to sink south from its summer position over Canada into the northern tier of states. We sometimes get poured on. For instance, five years ago tomorrow a narrow corridor of the U.P. had constantly regenerating thunderstorms develop just north of a stalled front. From three to over five inches of rain fell from sections of Ontonagon into Houghton, Baraga and Marquette Counties. A record 4.29 inches of rain fell overnight into the morning of September 4, 2007 at the National Weather Service (NWS) near Negaunee. This rain contributed the vast majority of a record-wet ninth month at the site. The September wet spell brought some relief after a very dry summer (Image 1 & 2 above).
Back on September 3, 1916, a similar set up brought torrential rains and severe weather to a good share of Upper Michigan. Flooding rain, “the worst of its kind ever seen,” poured down on Sault Ste. Marie. As a prelude to the deluge, the Copper Country was “visited by a violent electrical storm” the evening of September 3. The storm was judged “about as widespread in scope as any storm in recent years.” In Negaunee, a lightning bolt struck a residence that night, slightly injuring four people. Two occupants were thrown to the ground by the force of the strike, while two others were injured by falling plaster.
The complex of storms pushed east, arriving in the Sault later that night. Few cellars escaped flooding in the Easterday district. On Prospect Street, in the hill section, flooding occurred for the first time ever. The city health officer offered advice to those with flooded basements: “Open all windows and sprinkle liberal amounts of lime or some other disinfectant in the cellar. The atmosphere will be foul for some time to come, and will be detrimental to the health of the residents in the house unless precautions are taken.”
Rain from the storm totaled 5.64 inches in 24 hours with a total of 5.83 inches in 31 hours. This Sault Ste. Marie rainfall record stood until August 3, 1974 when 5.92 inches fell. The 1974 torrent featured rainfall rates as high as an inch in 10 minutes but did little damage other than some flooded basements.
A line of thunderstorms developed along a weak cold front this afternoon. Some of the storms were severe with damaging winds in parts of Alger, Delta and Menominee Counties. There was also locally heavy downpours with the thunderstorms There will be more chances of scattered showers and thunderstorms the next couple of days. The best chance appears to be on Wednesday as a stronger cool front sweeps west to east across the Upper Great Lakes. Behind this front, significant cooling is expected late in the week.
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