00:00Joining us from Lansing is Kelly Wolgamott, the Vice President of Pure Michigan.
00:04Thank you so much for joining us.
00:06And before radar and satellites, lighthouses were really the first weather warning systems.
00:11How did they help keep ships safe during storms?
00:14Absolutely. I'm glad to be here today to talk about the Michigan lighthouses.
00:20And before technology, lighthouse keepers served as the first line of defense against severe weather for mariners.
00:26In the late 19th century, the U.S. Army of Signal Service, the precursor to today's National Weather Service, established a national weather network.
00:36And they supplied the lighthouse keepers with instruments and resources.
00:40And the keepers were responsible for recording and tracking the weather and then telegraphing that weather data to a central office.
00:48The data collection from the network of lighthouses provided the foundation for the nation's first comprehensive weather observations in storm warning system, helping to keep ships safe on the Great Lakes.
01:02Now, Michigan, as we mentioned, has more lighthouses than any other state.
01:06Why so many? And how did the weather on the Great Lakes take part in that?
01:11Well, we love our freshwater and we have 3,200 miles of freshwater coastline.
01:17So the lighthouses became necessary to help guide the ships along the popular shipping routes that ran throughout the Great Lakes.
01:26And those lighthouses provided visual aids to the mariners, to guiding them through narrow channels and past rocky shores and to keep them safe on their voyage.
01:37A lot of these lighthouses have stood for over 100 years.
01:41How are they built to handle the harsh Michigan weather?
01:44Yes, these buildings are made of brick and stone to withstand the weather.
01:49But regardless of the material, they do need to be preserved over time.
01:53You know, technology today has advanced.
01:55So new materials are make them much more resilient for the harsh waves.
02:00And today, the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office works with lighthouses across the state to upkeep them.
02:06And they also provide grant opportunities to repair and to maintain them.
02:11And, you know, I got to tell you, there's a dedicated volunteers across the state that also work to upkeep and maintain these incredible beacons.
02:21Now, are some of the lighthouses still actually equipped with the weather to help with navigation?
02:26And are they still tracking some of the weather, as you mentioned?
02:30Absolutely.
02:31Many of the lighthouses on the Great Lakes still play a vital role in the weather and navigation.
02:36While the lights themselves are automated now, we don't have the light keepers in there like years ago.
02:42Some of the buildings are still used and housed for weather, modern weather instruments.
02:47The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate many of the active lights for navigation of ships on the Great Lakes.
02:53The waterways are active in the Great Lakes to this day with freighters and cruise ships that are coming to visit the destinations throughout Michigan.
03:03Kelly Wogelmott, Vice President of Pierre Michigan, thank you for joining us at AccuWeather Early.
03:07All of the video you shared is really convincing me to make a trip.
03:11It is so beautiful, those views and such fascinating information.
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