Windy weather creates ocean-like waves at Silver Beach

NOW: Windy weather creates ocean-like waves at Silver Beach
ST. JOSEPH, Mich. -

Wednesday’s windy weather was responsible for massive waves and cars stuck in the sand along Silver Beach.

“A beach with beautiful sun bathing and everything, it’s gorgeous, but this is magnificent to watch this,” said Beth Rawlins, a Benton Harbor resident who visited Silver Beach Wednesday. “This is just nature at its best.”

It was a show-stopping performance by Mother Nature on Wednesday.

“I notice the whitecaps mostly,” said Rawlins. “When I drive up the bluff and I see the whitecaps, I’m like, ‘I got to get down there! Check it out!’”

Rawlins joined many at Silver Beach in St. Joe on Wednesday for a front row seat to a wide open view of winds wreaking havoc on the coast.

Lake Michigan looked like an ocean Wednesday, with massive waves barreling onto the beach.

The iconic lighthouse in St. Joe was repeatedly swallowed by the crashing waves.

“I just want to get a great picture of the water bouncing off the lighthouse, you know, encompassing it,” said Stephen Basly, a South Bend photographer who traveled up to Silver Beach on Wednesday. “And the other thing is, I hope the sand doesn’t ruin my camera.”

But it wasn’t all fun in Berrien County.

Miles away in Berrien Springs, buses were picking kids up early from the local high school and middle school.

Both were closed before lunchtime because of power outages.

Back at Silver Beach, blowing sand proved too severe for several vehicles.

Multiple drivers got caught in swaths of sand that blew into the entrance to the Silver Beach parking lot.

“We haven’t had that bad of a winter, but after being basically cooped up and that type of thing, to have a nice sunny day and – it’s not too cold!” said Basly. “[It’s] a bit windy! But that makes for good waves. But you just got to watch out for that sand.”

As of Wednesday evening, there was no notable wind damage in St. Joe. 

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