‘Rare’ phenomenon on Lake Erie: Photos

Paul Kiska
·2 min read
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PUT-in-BAY, Ohio (WJW) — As a powerful winter storm-battered Northeast and North Central Ohio Saturday, 65 mph wind gusts pushed Lake Erie water levels away from the shore revealing portions of the bottom of the lake.

POWERFUL WINDS EXPOSE LAKE BED

The near hurricane-force winds from the southwest pushed the more shallow water out further into the lake in the western basin of Lake Erie near Port Clinton and the Lake Erie Islands especially at Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island in Ottawa County Saturday.

“A DIFFERENT PLANET”

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“It felt like I was walking on a different planet,” Barry Koehler told Fox 8 News.

Koehler, who braved the brutal conditions, took photos that show huge boulders completely exposed. Koehler said the boulders are usually under 6 to 9 feet of water and at times people were walking on the Lake Erie bed Saturday.

“A WHOLE NEW WORLD”

“It was so exciting to see Lake Erie like that, it was like exploring a whole new world,” Koehler said.

However, when winds of near hurricane strength (74 mph) blow in from the northeast over Lake Erie, the opposite phenomenon happens and water is pushed well past the shoreline, sometimes causing flooding in places like Port Clinton, which was not the case Saturday.

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“It’s not something you see often, twice in the last 13 months is rare, but when the lake bed is exposed due to wild winds from the southwest like on Saturday it’s thrilling,” Koehler said.

You can see Koehler’s fascinating photos he shared with Fox 8 in the slideshow below.

  • Courtesy: Barry Koehler
    Courtesy: Barry Koehler
  • Barry Koehler: Rocks usually covered by water
    Barry Koehler: Rocks usually covered by water
  • Barry Koehler: Boulder usually covered by water
    Barry Koehler: Boulder usually covered by water

Doug Wilhelm also sent Fox 8 his stellar photos of the Lake Erie bed exposed when the gusty winds pushed water away from the shore.

The 2 photos below are from Billy Market and show him with his son standing on the lake bed Saturday. He told Fox 8 News is usually six feet deep.

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Market said when the high winds finally settled down, the lake water shifted back into the bay.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.