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High Winds Bring Flooding to Shores of Lake Erie
High Winds Bring Flooding to Shores of Lake Erie
Jan 17, 2024 3:44 PM

Louis Flory helps uses a canoe to carry his younger brother Levi Flory, home from school in North Shores, Mich., on Thursday.

(Tom Hawley/The Monroe News via AP)

At a Glance

Floodwaters rushed through several small towns as waves crashed over seawalls along Lake Erie.The area was also plagued by flooding last year. More high winds and rain could pummel the area in the coming days.

Some residents in southeastern Michigan were forced from their homes Thursday by waves of water blowing in off Lake Erie, less than a year after flooding destroyed several homes in the area.

The winds were propelled in part by the circulation of Winter Storm Wesley, which dropped up to five inches of snow on other parts of the state. High winds also caused some minor shoreline flooding along Lake Superior in Duluth.

Video taken Thursday showed waves over the seawall and rushing through residential streets in Luna Pier, Mich., about 45 miles south of Detroit. The nearby town of North Shores was also flooded. By Friday, much of the water had receded leaving behind a muddy mess.

The National Weather Service warned residents, though, that more gusty weather could be on the way. The area was under a , with forecasted wind gusts up to 45 miles today and more onshore winds predicted Sunday and early next week. There was a 90 percent chance of rain for Saturday, with odds up to 100 percent by Sunday.

(MORE: Severe Weather Outbreak Expected This Weekend in the South, Including Threat of Strong Tornadoes)

The two towns, which sit directly on the shore of Lake Erie, deployed pumps to help stave off the flow. David Thompson, the drain commissioner for Monroe County, told weather.com in a phone interview Friday afternoon that pumps in his district had 20,000 gallons of pumping capacity but still had trouble keeping up.

“We had about a dozen homes that sustained significant damage,” Thompson said.

He said most of the damage was in the town of North Shores.

Thompson explained that the lake's and decline on a cycle about every 20 to 30 years, and right now the waters are six to seven inches from record highs.

“The lake is very close to a record high elevation and because of the shallowness of Lake Erie it is very susceptible to wind," he said. "It can change the level of the lake by feet.”

Disappointed, Sherry Stanley holds her waders up as she walks to her home with her fiance Ken Williams in North Shores in LaSalle, Mich. on Thursday. The couple had just moved into their home two months ago.

(Tom Hawley/The Monroe News via AP)

Luna Pier Mayor Jim Gardner said in a phone interview that the area was more prepared after last year's floods. Gardner said some residents rebuilt their homes with stronger flood protection measures and the town had more pumps ready to deploy sooner. He said people acted quickly to protect their belongings when the waters started to rush in.

Gardner said there was no major damage in Luna Pier, just a lot of mud and debris left behind.

"It made a mess and they’re busy cleaning up today," he said. "It’s a matter of cleaning and drying everything out.”

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