Overview
A strong 998mb low pressure system moved through the upper Mississippi Valley on Monday, causing intense southeasterly winds as the system tracked toward Western Lake Superior. Gusty winds ramped up over Lake Huron on Monday morning with sustained winds of 25 - 30 mph and gusts mainly between 40 and 50 mph. This caused large waves to pound the beaches, piers and breakwalls on the Lake Huron shoreline. Damage occurred in numerous places, in particular M-185 on Mackinac Island. A band of light to moderate rain swept across the area from southwest to northeast, with many locations receiving rain off and on throughout the afternoon and evening. Drier air worked its way in overnight, giving us a brief break in precipitation. An occluded front also crossed the area Monday night, switching winds around to southerly and eventually southwesterly. This brought the same threats over to the Lake Michigan side on Tuesday. High waves in conjunction with already high lakes levels caused beach erosion, flooding and some property damage, notably to Empire Beach and Bar Lake Access Beach. Wrap-around precipitation moved in again on Tuesday, but overall 48-hr total rainfall amounts were half and inch or less.
Lakeshore Flooding and Erosion Pictures:
Bayview Park - Alpena, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Blair Street Park - Alpena, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
East Main St. - Harrisville, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
East Main St. - Harrisville, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Flooded Stairs in Harbor - Harrisville, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Waves Crashing Onshore - Harrisville, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Bar Lake Access Beach - North of Manistee, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Bar Lake Access Beach Platform Deterioration - North of Manistee, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Bar Lake Access Beach Platform - North of Manistee, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Seawall Deterioration - House near Bar Lake Access Beach Sabrina Jauernic |
Manistee River pier - Manistee Harbor Sabrina Jauernic |
Waves crashing over south seawall - Manistee Harbor Sabrina Jauernic |
Manistee Harbor Parking Lot Sabrina Jauernic |
Wall Deterioration - Empire, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Wall Deterioration - Empire, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
Boat Dock Erosion and Debris - Empire, MI Sabrina Jauernic |
M-185 Erosion - Mackinac Island Robert McGreevy |
M-185 Erosion - Mackinac Island Robert McGreevy |
M-185 Erosion - Mackinac Island Robert McGreevy |
M-185 Erosion - Mackinac Island Robert McGreevy |
Harbor Parking Lot - Frankfort, MI Joe Green |
Haserot Beach Pier Damage - Old Mission, MI Pamela Montague-VanderMey |
Tawas Point State Park Andrew Kent |
Little Traverse Wheelway bikepath near Burgess Rd UpNorthLive |
Storm Reports
The following are preliminary storm reports from October 21st - October 22nd, 2019. Beach erosion and lakeshore flooding were reported along both the Lake Michigan and Lake Huron shorelines. Also included are the storm reports for high winds (the highest reported wind speed was 57 mph at Frankfort).
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...LAKESHORE FLOODING REPORTS...
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0115 PM Coastal Flood 2 NW BAYSHORE 45.37N 85.13W 10/22/2019 Charlevoix MI Broadcast Media Broadcast media reported portions of Little Traverse Wheelway bike path crumbline due to beach erosion. 0800 AM Coastal Flood Black River 44.82N 83.30W 10/22/2019 Alcona MI Public Report w/photo on Facebook of beach erosion at Black River. Time is approximated from time photo was posted. 1030 PM Coastal Flood 5 SSW Tawas City 44.20N 83.56W 10/21/2019 Iosco MI Public Delayed report from Facebook -- 1.5-2 feet of stone covering beach; dock planks, trees washed away; estimated 20 feet of beach erosion. Lakeshore flooding occurred over a lengthy time period. 0700 PM Coastal Flood 1 SSE Alpena 45.06N 83.43W 10/21/2019 Alpena MI Public Delayed report from Facebook -- bike path in Alpena covered in sand and underwater in places. Time estimated from photo. 0600 PM Coastal Flood 1 ENE Mackinac Island 45.87N 84.61W 10/21/2019 Mackinac MI Dept of Highways MDOT reports M-185 on Mackinac Island (mile marker 1.5 to 4.5) washed out from coastal flooding/erosion on October 21st. Delayed report, time estimated. 0600 PM Coastal Flood 1 S Old Mission 44.96N 85.48W 10/21/2019 Grand Traverse MI Public Report w/photo from Facebook of dock washed out and waves up to wooden posts in parking lot at Haserot Beach, Old Mission. Time estimated from photo. 0500 PM Coastal Flood 3 SE East Tawas 44.26N 83.44W 10/21/2019 Iosco MI Public Sand/rocks into roadway on road to Tawas Point State Park beach/lighthouse. Report w/photo on Facebook. Time estimated from photo. 0315 PM Coastal Flood Northport 45.13N 85.61W 10/21/2019 Leelanau MI Public Dock damaged and boat house flooded. Water over docks at G. Marsten Dame Marina. 0400 PM Lakeshore Flood Frankfort 44.63N 86.24W 10/22/2019 Benzie MI Public Parking lot flooding next to Betsie Lake in Frankfort. Report w/photo on Facebook. Time estimated from photo. 0400 PM Lakeshore Flood 1 E Harrisville 44.66N 83.29W 10/21/2019 Alcona MI NWS Employee Overlook at the end of East Main Street damaged and eroded. 0300 PM Lakeshore Flood 3 N Manistee 44.30N 86.31W 10/21/2019 Manistee MI NWS Employee Wooden deck overlook and signage at Bar Lake Access Beach severely damaged.
___________________________________________________________________________ ...HIGHEST WIND REPORTS...
...HIGHEST WIND REPORTS FOR OCT 21 AND 22 2019... LOCATION SPEED TIME/DATE LAT/LON FRANKFORT LIGHT 57 MPH 0230 PM 10/21 44.63N/86.25W 13 SSW BREVORT 49 MPH 0230 PM 10/21 45.84N/85.14W WHITEFISH POINT 48 MPH 0840 PM 10/21 46.76N/84.97W DE TOUR VILLAGE, MI 47 MPH 0806 PM 10/21 45.99N/83.90W MANISTEE 47 MPH 0440 PM 10/22 44.25N/86.34W TRAVERSE CITY - CHERRY CAPIT 47 MPH 0251 PM 10/21 44.73N/85.57W ELMWOOD TOWNSHIP MARINA 45 MPH 0240 PM 10/21 44.79N/85.63W MACKINAC ISLAND 45 MPH 0419 PM 10/21 45.85N/84.63W MACKINAW CITY, MI 45 MPH 0236 PM 10/21 45.78N/84.73W KINROSS - CHIPPEWA COUNTY IN 44 MPH 0934 PM 10/21 46.25N/84.47W GAYLORD - OTSEGO COUNTY AIRP 44 MPH 0423 PM 10/21 45.02N/84.68W GAYLORDNWS; GAYLORD 44 MPH 0409 PM 10/21 44.91N/84.72W FRANKFORT - DOW MEMORIAL FIE 44 MPH 0238 PM 10/21 44.63N/86.20W 30 E PRESQUE ISLE 43 MPH 0650 PM 10/21 45.35N/82.84W 27 NE PORT HOPE 43 MPH 1250 AM 10/22 44.28N/82.42W 1 SSE NAUBINWAY 43 MPH 0640 PM 10/21 46.09N/85.44W 6 NE NORTHPORT 43 MPH 0940 PM 10/22 45.21N/85.55W LELAND HARBOR 43 MPH 0355 PM 10/22 45.02N/85.76W POINT IROQUOIS, MI 43 MPH 0806 PM 10/21 46.48N/84.63W TAWAS POINT 43 MPH 0505 PM 10/21 44.25N/83.46W RUDYARD 42 MPH 1014 PM 10/21 46.24N/84.51W SAULT STE MARIE - MUNICIPAL 40 MPH 0905 PM 10/21 46.47N/84.37W 12 E ALPENA 40 MPH 0550 PM 10/21 45.03N/83.19W DRUMMOND ISLAND 39 MPH 0817 PM 10/21 46.00N/83.75W HOUGHTON LAKE - ROSCOMMON CO 39 MPH 0539 PM 10/21 44.35N/84.67W BELLARIE - ANTRIM COUNTY ARP 39 MPH 0356 PM 10/21 44.98N/85.20W PELLSTON - RGNL AIRPORT OF E 39 MPH 0354 PM 10/21 45.57N/84.80W CADILLAC - WEXFORD COUNT ARP 39 MPH 0335 PM 10/21 44.27N/85.42W OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURES. WE THANK ALL VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS FOR THEIR DEDICATION. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
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