BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The National Weather Service in Buffalo said Lake Erie experienced a seiche after this week’s storm, causing water levels to rise up to eight feet in some areas.
“Lake Erie is shallow, relative to the other ones, so it sort of works like a big bathtub,” said Michael Fries, meteorologist in charge with the National Weather Service in Buffalo. “It’s like, you know, you get in the bathtub, all the water moves back and forth when you place in it because the pressure pushes down on one side of the lake and then the wind pushes all the water to the other end, not all the water, but a large amount of the water.”
As water levels rose on Western New York’s shorelines, people living on the west side of Lake Erie, in Michigan, had a chance to explore what’s usually hidden beneath the water during the seiche.
“It’s like being a kid again and going out on a treasure hunt, you never know what you’re going to find,” said Austin Lada, who lives in Luna Pier, Michigan. “You hope to find something, and if you find nothing at all, at least it’s a cool experience getting to see what’s on the lake bed.”…