Strong winds from a winter storm created a somewhat rare weather phenomenon on Lake Erie this week, pushing water eastward and exposing miles of lake bed along western shorelines in Michigan and Ohio.
Watch Brett Kast’s video report:
Lake Erie seiche exposes hidden treasures and decades-old stories
The seiche, pronounced “say-sh,” occurred on Monday as cold air and low pressure moved quickly into Southeast Michigan. The powerful winds essentially pushed water from the western end of the lake to the eastern end, revealing underwater secrets that had been hidden for decades.
Austin Lada and his friends in Luna Pier knew the approaching storm system might create the perfect conditions for a seiche. They organized a group to meet at the beach when winds would be strongest.
“We knew this system was coming through; we had heard about the bomb cyclone,” Lada said.
The group has witnessed seiches before, but this event was extraordinary.
“Yeah, this was otherworldly to see the water out that far,” Lada said. “We didn’t think this seiche was going to go this far out, and we would be able to walk that far out.”…