Meteorologists Warn People to Stay Away From Lake Erie as Fierce Winds Turn Its Waves Violent

In the early 1960s, Lake Erie, the southernmost of the Great Lakes, was declared dead. The once-untamed waters of this 9,940 square mile watercourse were tarnished by chemicals released by steel mills, reckless spillage of agricultural fertilizers, incautious abandonment of household detergents, and the wrath of Ohio’s burning Cuyahoga River that relinquished its lava-laced waters into Erie in 1969. Thanks to constraints imposed on human activities, Erie is now recovering. Today, its turquoise waters seethe with an unshackled intensity. Rushing over the wild swells, its fierce rip currents crash against piers, breakwalls, jetties, and lighthouses, sending shudders across the surrounding territory, a delicious opportunity for swimmers, canoers, boaters, and fishermen, per Urban Atlas.

Currently, however, the authorities are advising people to stay away from Erie’s waters. In conversation with Newsweek, the National Weather Service (NWS) disclosed that on coming Wednesday, violent tempest could lash Erie’s waters through the night. The churning currents could cause the waters to become abnormally shallow, posing danger for anyone who might be inside the water. Deep waters, as most people think, can be alarming at times, but this time, it’s the shallow waters of Erie that are the cause of concern. When a swimmer, a boater, or anyone in general plunges into the water, the shallow depths make them highly susceptible to coming in contact with sharp objects lodged in the sediments accumulated at the bottom and injuring their spine or head.

In the latest case, Erie seems to be coming under the possession of aggressive southwestern winds, with knolls of 40 knots lifting up waters into waves of a towering range of 6 to 8 feet. As the defenseless waters rise into gigantic mountains, they create hazardous conditions for people who might be present in the water. The best suggestion for anyone present in the water, at the time of strong winds and high waves, is not to fight. Just swim out of the current, NWS says. And if you can’t swim or escape, the best idea is to call or wave a hand for assistance. 

As ferocious winds push Erie’s waters beyond the safety threshold, meteorologists advise locals to resist entering inside. According to the report, the danger lingers in both Michigan and Ohio, as well as other regions flanked by Erie. In Michigan, the warning goes for a stretch between the Detroit River and North Cape. In Ohio, the low water advisory is for the open waters from The Islands to Vermilion, from Maumee Bay to Reno Beach, and from Reno Beach to the Islands.

Cleveland News warned the mariners to “navigate shallow waters with extreme caution due to below normal water levels." Inexperienced mariners, they added, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions. This is not the first time Erie has been creeped out by the violence of winds. In August this year, NWS warned people of a high risk of rip currents cutting through Cuyahoga, Lake Erie, and Ashtabula counties, advising people to stay out of the water and away from piers and breakwalls. All that rage, Lake Erie receives from fire and winds, is now being spewed upon the humans. 

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