© Todd and Brad Reed Photography)These photos of the Ludington North Breakwater were taken just 10 minutes apart by Ludington photographer Todd Reed on Friday, April 13.
MLive Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa reports that a quick rise in water level known as a seiche caused the lake to rise 13.9 inches in just 42 minutes around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13.
Photos captured by Ludington-based photographer Todd Reed provide evidence of just how dramatic the phenomenon also known as a "Great Lakes meteotsunami" was.
Thunderstorm induced seiche causes Lake Michigan to rise over foot in less than hour
Docks were damaged as the water level rose quickly.
The first photo taken around the time of the seiche shows the Ludington North Breakwater almost completely covered by water.
"The water was as high as (I) had seen since Nov. 10, 1975, the day the freighter Edmond Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior. Water was also flooding the beach and the end of Ludington Avenue," Reed said in an email.
But it didn't last long. Returning to nearly the same spot less than 10 minutes later, Reed observed that not only was the entire breakwater above water, but the rocks lining the outside of it were highly visible.
This was at least the fourth seiche that the longtime West Michigan photographer had experienced on the Lake Michigan shoreline between Big and Little Sable Points.
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