Seiche — Leelanau, Michigan

2019-05-09 · Leelanau, Michigan

Event narrative

Water entered some of the historic fishing shanties in the Fishtown section of Leland. Sandbags and other methods were deployed to attempt to keep the water out.

Wider weather episode

The sudden relaxation of a gusty east wind, and quick transition to a northwest wind, resulted in a seiche on Lake Michigan. With very high water levels already in place on all of the Great Lakes, localized flooding developed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 831892. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.