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Lake Michigan storm stirs up big winds, strong waves

National Weather Service issues storm warning along lakeshore

October 19, 2011|By Kelli Stopczynski (kstopczynski@wsbt.com>)

BERRIEN COUNTY – A storm warning along Lake Michigan is stirring up winds expected to gust as high as 50 miles an hour and the chance for flooding in parts of Berrien and LaPorte Counties Wednesday and Thursday. 

Roaring winds and sideways sand looked nothing like the New Buffalo beach we're used to.  Berrien County Emergency Management Coordinator Capt. Corey Burks said people living near the lakeshore should not take the storm warning lightly.

“Take them seriously, don’t just brush them off,” Burks said.

The heavy rain adds an additional element of danger. 

“Rain-soaked ground and the wind that comes behind it could potentially blow trees down with that softer ground,” he said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Sabones told WSBT storms like Wednesday’s aren’t unusual in the fall.

“With changing seasons, we see more energetic weather systems moving across our area. That can mean things like stronger cold fronts,” Sabones said.

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Berrien County’s dive team can testify to that. Crews walked more than a mile along the beach Wednesday in their fifth day of searching for the body of an 18-year-old Illinois man who disappeared last weekend when his kayak flipped. 

“We’re still continuing our efforts, to the best of our ability, for the family,” said Lt. Randy Miller. “Conditions are pretty rough.”

It was too rough for the team to go into the water Wednesday.

New Buffalo resident Carla Cybulski watched Saturday as rescue crews pulled the kayaker’s two friends to safety Saturday and hasn’t been able to stay away in the days since, knowing one of them is still out there. 

“People just have to realize it is a scary lake,” Cybulski said. “It's beautiful to look at but it has got a mean side for sure.”

Conditions on the lake are expected to worsen into Wednesday night and wave heights could climb up to 20 feet, forecasters said.

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