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The water-filled roads of Canal Park did not stop wave observers from reaching the shore, where the waves crashed on the large stone wall and water flowed through the Lighthouse car park and onto Canal Park Drive.
The Canadian cargo ship Assiniboine, anchored in Lake Superior, right next to Duluth, reported winds of up to 64 mph and waves of 20 feet. The highest reported gust was reported just after midnight on Wednesday morning by the Canadian freighter Algowood, which measured a gust of 86 mph, well above the hurricane range, off the north coast of Minnesota near Castle Danger, according to Duluth's National Weather Service. .
The east winds were blowing so hard and pushing Lake Superior's water into the harbor so much that the water level in the harbor had risen 10 inches Wednesday morning, reported the meteorological service. Wind power pushed the St. Louis River and caused minor flooding as far upstream as Boy Scout Landing and the River Place campground.
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The city of Duluth advised the public not to venture on the shores of the lake or in flood-prone areas, including Brighton Beach and parts of the Canal Park. Duluth officially received 1.45 inches of rain at 7:30 pm Wednesday, in addition to several recent rainy days. All of this precipitation has softened the soil in some areas enough for large trees to be uprooted and fallen. Duluth has already received almost three inches of rain in October.
The Duluth Fire Department reacted to several reports of trees and limbs on power lines, some of which produced sparks.
At Canal Park, Carl Amundson, a resident of Duluth, was submerged by a wave while standing on the Lakewalk, but he was dressed for it with camouflage rain gear from head to toe. He had the equipment with him because he was going on his hunting territory, but he decided to stop to see the waves first. This is not usually what he does.
"I lived here long enough, I thought I saw everything, but it's pretty nasty," he said.
He added that it seemed Wednesday's storm was worse than the strong October 2017 storm that caused significant damage to Lakewalk and Brighton Beach. He said that his sister went to Brighton Beach on Wednesday morning and discovered that the road was already gone.
Andy Lipe was one of the observers of the storm at Canal Park and said that he was often drawn to the lake's shores during the storms. He relived the storms after returning to his childhood home in Northland last year. The best part of the storm watching is "to see the strength and the energy, the wind and the waves … it's bewildering," he said. "It's amazing, strength."
While the amount of rain falling on the Northland was expected, a Weather Service official said that what made Wednesday's storm system strong was its wind.
"Do you know how people say that "the gales of November arrived early?", Said Greg Frosig, a meteorologist at the Duluth National Weather Service.
Frosig said the winds are generally strongest on the north and northwest sides of the autumn storm systems, where Duluth is located during this cycle. These Lake Superior winds contributed to flooding and erosion along the shoreline. From 20:00 Wednesday night, these winds persisted, buoys near the Apostles and Duluth Islands reporting winds above 35 mph.
A flood warning is in effect in Ashland County until 11:30 pm. Thursday. In Bayfield County, water covered Highway E, which was closed from Highway C to US Highway 63.
In addition, the rain was to turn into snow Wednesday night. Koochiching County, northern St. Louis County and northern Itasca County were subject to a winter weather advisory and it was expected that 3 to 8 inches of snow would fall in these areas until Thursday. morning at 7 o'clock, according to the meteorological service. Less than an inch of snow was to fall south of the iron chain.
Minnesota Power teams worked Wednesday afternoon to restore power to 4,300 customers, primarily in the Duluth, Esko and Carlton areas. Lake Country Power reported that about 660 customers were without electricity. As of 6:30 pm, approximately 2,000 Minnesota Power customers and all Lake Country Power customers had been reinstated.
Nathan Braemer was found with free time watching the waves at Canal Park on Wednesday after the power went out at his workplace in Esko. It does not make a storm a habit to watch, but it will stop to watch a storm if it has the opportunity, he said. But he was playing safe by staying away from the flooded area on the lighthouse parking lot, he said, pointing out a group of people trying to get closer to the lake to take pictures with their mobile phone.
"I'm happy to live here at this time because it's something special to see," he said.
Despite the rising waters, some businesses in Canal Park have weathered the weather. Many companies in the Dewitt-Seitz market remained open on Wednesday.
"Our basement is flooded, but the store is still open," said Harrison Croff, deputy director at Northern Waters Smokehaus. "We actually had more customers than expected."
Some operations have stagnated in northern waters. The preparation room used by delivery drivers was flooded and the area where employees smoke meat and fish is also soggy.
The company Canal Park Brewing Company experienced similar difficulties throughout the day, pushing back a little water that entered the dining room. However, the brewery also saw more customers than expected.
"It's a bit crazy here," said Alec Haas, a restaurant host. "He is surprisingly busy."
The other companies did not face the weather. Grandma's Saloon & Grill, Bellisio's and Sports Garden were all closed. After the closure of a flooded parking lot and the closing of adjacent businesses, employees of the Rocky Chocolate Factory returned home earlier.
"There is no damage, but we watch them all day," said Jackiy Klund, deputy director of the chocolate factory. "We saw other people start closing deals, and then we decided to do it."
After suffering extensive water damage during last October's storm, the Great Lakes Aquarium prepared for Wednesday's rain by depositing sandbags near the loading dock. Ground evacuations being open and vacuum cleaners ready for use, operations manager Jay Walker said the aquarium team was determined to prevent the rising waters.
"It was the biggest storm I saw," Walker said. "We had to have more sand, so we made some insurance trips to Menards. A wave has passed, but we now know what the criterion is in case of flooding. "
Journalists Lisa Kaczke, John Myers and Jack Nissen contributed to this report.
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