Mar 14, 1997
Southwest to west gale force winds up to 40 knots, combined with recent high water levels on Lake Erie and waves of six to nine feet, forced the park to close Friday night through Saturday afternoon. Roads were flooded, tons of debris were washed up on the beaches, and considerable erosion of beaches occurred. A peak wind of 49 miles per hour was reported on Friday and trees and branches were downed. Ice dunes that normally protect the shoreline had already melted.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5593650). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Erie County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.