WHITEFISH BAY -- The National Weather Service is warning residents of a serious water hazard taking place on Whitefish Bay and the Sault Locks. A seiche is developing where water levels are rising and falling rapidly due to water being pushed to the west side of the bay due to the strong winds. The water then sloshes back to east side.
Strong winds following the passage of a tight/compact area of low pressure have created a "seiche" which is a splashing of water back/forth like you would see in a bathtub, only this occurs in nature when we have strong winds.
This is happening on Whitefish Bay today and the National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flood Warning for Whitefish Bay and the Soo Locks.
Water levels at Point Iroquois dropped about a foot below normal earlier this morning...and have now jumped back up over a foot and a half over the past couple of hours.
This sloshing of water happens when very strong winds push the water to one side of the bay, once the winds subside, that water races to the other shore leading to a rapid rise on one side of the bay, and a drop in water on the other side. Eventually, this sloshing of water will level out later today.
People living near/along Whitefish Bay including the Soo Locks, Paradise, and Brimley may see water levels fluctuate up to two feet through late afternoon. Avoid the beach and breakwalls if possible.
