Watch: Crumbling bluffs along Lake Michigan threaten homes
Michigan officials say years of waves and extreme weather have led to significant erosion along the coastline. Parts of shorelines along Lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron have been designated as high-risk erosion areas, where foot or more of terrain is lost every year.
Drone video: Bluffs along Lake Michigan give way
Video along the shoreline of Lake Michigan shows dramatic scenes of homes teetering on the edges of bluffs in the southwest portion of the Wolverine State.
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. - Drone video from along the shore of Lake Michigan shows dramatic scenes of homes teetering dangerously on the edges of eroding bluffs in the southwestern portion of Michigan.
Video taken in late April near Benton Harbor shows several lakefront homes now just feet from the edge of steep cliffs, the result of years of coastal erosion.
In the video, wooden staircases and bulkheads appear to have vanished as backyards crumble into the lake.
While shoreline erosion is not a new phenomenon in the region, local residents and engineers say the pace of land loss has accelerated significantly in recent years.
"This year has been the windiest start to spring in over 50 years for the U.S., creating monster waves," staff with Nates Dronography stated. "Erosion isn’t new, but it definitely got worse this year."
Michigan state officials attribute the worsening erosion to years of high winds, rough wave action and other extreme weather events.
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Drone video along Lake Michigan shows dramatic scenes of homes teetering dangerously on the edges of eroding bluffs in southwestern Michigan.
(Nate's Dronography via Storyful / FOX Weather)
The problem has grown so severe that parts of the shorelines along Lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron have been designated as high-risk erosion areas - where a foot or more of land disappears every year.
In some locations, erosion strips away as much as 15 to 20 feet annually, driven by what experts say is a completely natural process, which also occurs in coastal states such as Florida and North Carolina.
Observers note that spring is often the most active time of year, as melting snow and ice add water pressure to the already fragile coastline.
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The issue is not limited to Lake Michigan - all five Great Lakes, which form nearly 11,000 miles of coastline, are experiencing varying degrees of erosion.
Over the years, state and local governments have responded by increasing setback requirements for new construction near the lakes.
For existing structures that can’t be easily moved, engineers recommend planting vegetation, along with building permitted hardened barriers, but sometimes these fixes can be costly and ineffective.
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