HOLLAND, Michigan — Several factors have led to unprecedented loss of land along the shoreline of the Great Lakes. Now, property owners in West Michigan are scrambling to save what they can before it's too late.
What happened?
A combination of numerous strong wind events in addition to high water levels that have not been seen since the 1980s are to blame for severe beach erosion. Some areas lost more than 20 feet of dune in Wednesday's storm.
Property owners are desperate
Many residents are reaching out to lakeshore erosion experts. When possible, barriers will be installed to help limit future erosion. Unfortunately, it might be too late for some areas as another fall storm is expected to hit the lakeshore in coming days.
Watch aerial video of the shoreline erosion here:
What's next?
Another major wind event is expected to arrive on Monday. Timing of this event will be important. Winds will begin to pick up out of the southeast on Monday morning.
As a cold front passes through Monday evening, winds will quickly shift from southeast to southwest. Waves on Lake Michigan are expected to build to nearly 10 feet by Tuesday morning as wind gusts reach 40 mph.
While winds may not be as strong as last week's event, the duration of the high winds may be longer. This could lead to larger waves and more water being pushed toward the western border of Lake Michigan.
Photos: Storm erodes Lake Michigan's shoreline
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