BWCA A look back at the 1999 Derecho storm Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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      A look back at the 1999 Derecho storm     
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07/04/2018 05:30PM  
 
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07/04/2018 06:48PM  
it was definitely a mighty storm to experience and clean up after.
 
carmike
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07/04/2018 09:36PM  
Thank you for sharing!
 
07/04/2018 10:01PM  
While I wasn’t in the BW when it hit I was on a morning run just south of Ely. The intensity was incredible. If my memory is correct, later that evening there was another storm that produced some incredible rain totals as well.
 
treehorn
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07/05/2018 08:52AM  
Interesting read. Would be terrifying to be camping in something like that.
 
07/05/2018 10:29AM  
We went in a few days after the storm. We had to clear portages as we went.
 
07/05/2018 10:38AM  
As usual the day before a big storm I remember it was very Hot in the BWCA. Lot of energy.
 
07/05/2018 04:56PM  
I was at a campground for a week on Farm Lake in August that year. Me and my young son took a float plane ride and got to see the blow down from the air. I remember a female pilot who gave lots of good info about the storm. I didn't realize the devastation as this was before message boards. It literally looked like matchsticks all over the ground. It was incredible.

 
ForestDuff
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07/05/2018 05:12PM  
Lake Three, just about to toss the first cast when I notice the rod tips are buzzing like a mad horsefly. The other canoe has just arrived to join us. "Time to head back to camp boys."

"What?,Why?"
"Put your rod tips in the air."
"HOLY SHIAT!!! WTF IS THAT!!!!"
"That is our warning."

Just then we heard our first faint rumble in the distance and paddled 5 minutes back to camp. There we made sure everything was ready for a storm. Told the other guys I was riding it out down by the shoreline, and to watch out for trees.
"Yea........lightning."
"Nope.......getting squished."

I'll never forget those first few downbursts of wind. They were picking up Olympic pool sized sheets of water off of the surface of the lake and propelling it forward 50ft in the air. Pure power.
We had a few trees down around camp, one tent took a glancing blow.
But everything survived.
We were out fishing again a half hour after it passed, then the float planes started going by overhead and we knew that we were the lucky ones.
And yes, it poured all night from a second storm.
 
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