Christine Whelan FEO, February 16, 2023, VOL. 4 ISSUE 13

Earthquakes and Serpents and Thundersnow — Oh My!

I often wonder what Fort Erie newcomers think of the different fascinating, sometimes frightening facets of Fort Erie. And then I saw this post by Ian Williams on the Facebook Group, Fort Erie – “Our Town”.

Ok, I’m somewhat of a newcomer to town. Since I’ve moved here. I’ve seen and experienced some strange events like:

• the river so bad it took most of the breakwall out
• a waterspout
• a snowstorm with thunder
• a snowstorm from hell with no power or heat for 37 hours
• a 4.2 earthquake

Can any of the long-time locals give me a heads up as to what’s next in the crazy town we call Fort Erie? Not sure what to expect next.

Do we get localized hurricanes?

• tsunamis?
• alien abductions?
• Bigfoot sightngs?

Anything that I should prepare myself for? Asking for a friend.

Priceless. And yes, I can see how someone may get this type of perception.

Earthquakes

Many had quite the awakening on the morning of February 8 at 6:15 as the magnitude 3.8 earthquake rumbled through the ground around the epicenter of three kilometres from West Seneca, NY.

It was first announced as a magnitude of 4.4, then 4.2, and finally landing at 3.8. Regardless, people were waking up to the experience of what many expressed felt like a vehicle hitting their home.

Newcomers to Fort Erie want to know if they can expect more of this type of experience.

While it was considered a light quake by international measures, it was the largest to hit the area in more than a half-century, according to Stephen Halchuk, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

A search of recorded seismic activity within 100 kilometres showed the last one to measure similarly on the Richter scale was a 4.5 magnitude earthquake in 1967 near Buffalo.

Snowstorms

Since the middle of the December storm, a comparison began being expressed, both online and in conversation, “Which storm was worse ’77 or ’22?”

The words of Erno Rossi, author of ‘White Death: The Blizzard of ’77’, describe the experience more than a handful of locals still remember vividly. I will let you decide for yourself.

“A wall of white, as high as a mountain, flowed across the ice. That wall of snow hit land with hurricane force. The blizzard of the century had arrived.

“The temperature plunged to near zero Fahrenheit as hurricane-force winds roared across the frozen surface of Lake Erie. Temperature and wind combined to create a wind chill of 60 below zero. Visibility was also zero and remained there from 11:30 am on the 28th until 12:50 am on the 29th of January. The storm did not subside until February.”

The snow had built up on the surface of the ice across the lake. Ten thousand square miles of snow powder blew inland and buried people in their cars and homes.”

Thundersnow

Have you heard thunder roll while the snowflakes are flying?

AccuWeather calls it a “relatively rare phenomenon”. The rarity of thundersnow is due to the unlikely combination of all of the ingredients necessary to produce it. Generally speaking, you won’t have the combustible combination for thunder during an average snowfall. Whereas within the unstable air masses that interact to produce typical thunderstorms, you are unlikely to have the cold air required to change precipitation from rain to snow. It is an extremely uncommon occurrence to witness all of the circumstances lining up just right to create thundersnow.

Tsunamis

The Buffalo / Fort Erie area may have a reputation for snow storms off Lake Erie, but apparently, we are known for our tsunamis, too.

“No, not 100-foot wall-of-water, earthquake-driven tsunamis that swamp faraway places in the Pacific. The tsunamis around here are different and pass with little impact,” according to a Buffalonews.com article.

“They’re called meteotsunamis,” also known as seiches and storm surges, “and researchers have determined more than 100 of them happen on the Great Lakes every year. Buffalo gets more of them than most other Great Lakes ports.” And that means us.

When the wind shifts in a given area, the water shifts with it. It’s like carrying a big tub of water in your arms and you’re trying to keep it from splashing back and forth. That’s what happens when the wind suddenly changes directions on the Great Lakes. This effect is particularly enhanced by the fact that Lake Erie is quite shallow.

And that poor break wall along the Niagara Parkway! How many times has it been fixed?

Ice Shove

February 24, 2019 – Local newspapers printed, “A massive windstorm creates a wild-looking ice shove, causing flooding and power outages. ‘Ice shove’ is a phenomenon that sometimes occurs during heavy winds in winter. The winds push the snow and ice up, onto the shore, in Fort Erie’s case, over the break wall.” Some news sources referred to it as an ice tsunami.

Speaking of ice but less dramatic, recently circles of ice have been seen in local waters.

Pancake Ice

Just in case anyone saw this in the water and wondered what it was.

Brian Smyth, a Fort Erie resident who often posts on Facebook, shared several photos on February 3, of circular-shaped chunks of ice in the shallow waters of the lakeshore, Ridgeway. He informed others in his comments, this is pancake ice.

According to The Weather Channel website, pancake ice can be found in a lake, river or sea in the winter months and can range anywhere from one to ten feet in diameter and up to four inches thick, typically forming in areas with at least some wave action and air temperatures just below freezing.

Man’s Response to Mother Nature: Ice Boom

With the development and accumulation of ice in Lake Erie during the winter months, something had to be done to stop the ice from flowing into the lower gorge of the Niagara River causing ice blockages that can cause flooding and ice damage. A reduction of ice flow was also needed for the hydroelectric power plant intakes.

In 1964, the Niagara ice boom was stretched across the mouth of the Niagara River at the eastern end of Lake Erie.  It extends about 2680 metres (8,800 feet) from the outer break wall at Buffalo Harbor almost to the Canadian shore. In 1997, a more modern ice boom was utilized for the first time.

According to The International Niagara Board of Control of the International Joint Commission’s current Order of Approval, installation may begin on December 16th or when the Lake Erie water temperature reaches 4ºC (39ºF), whichever occurs first.

The Order requires that the boom be opened by April 1 of each year unless there is more than 650 square kilometres (250 square miles) of ice remaining in the eastern end of Lake Erie. Extenuating circumstances may require a delay in ice boom opening.

Windstorms

Localized hurricanes? Well, no. But Fort Erie is known for its windstorms. To share just a couple —

Halloween Night, 2019 – Fort Erie experienced unprecedented and extraordinary weather events including high winds, rain and flooding. Following the weather events, Town staff estimated over $1 million worth of damages.

It was this storm that caused the shocking damage to the shore of Waverly Woods, destroying a section of the sidewalk.

Saturday, December 11, 2021, a windstorm crashed in on Fort Erie. The lakeshore was hit, once again, by wind forces over 100 kms/hour, causing more damage. Thousands lost power between Fort Erie and Port Colborne.

Myth or Fact? You Decide.

According to a Great Lakes Guide article, there is a belief by many that a huge serpent-like creature lives in the dark waters of Lake Erie, thought of as the “Loch Ness Monster’s Canadian cousin” or “Knock-off Nessie”.

In 1793, the captain of the Felicity was duck hunting through the shallows of Lake Erie’s islands. His loud shots rang out, echoing over the still water.

Suddenly, the captain saw something that made his blood run cold.

According to the captain, an enormous serpent started thrashing around near his boat, having been startled by the gunshots. He reported that the creature was huge, easily over five metres long.

This was the first ever reported sighting of Bessie.

Over the centuries, people have described the mysterious creature in many ways. Some say she has a dog-like head and large fins. She’s also been called reptilian. Some even say she has human-like arms. One thing that’s fairly consistent across sightings is her long, snake-like body that measures anywhere from 5 to 18 metres long.

The legend of the serpentine creature living in Lake Erie actually originated in First Nations culture.

First Nations groups in the Lake Erie region would speak of Oniare (“own-yar-eh”), a water spirit that lives in the Great Lakes. Oniare is a horned dragon-like snake that breathes both poison and fire.

Ghosts and Witches

Many towns have their own legends and folklore. The Greater Fort Erie area is no different. It is well-known and well-accepted that the Old Fort Erie and buildings such as Bertie Hall on the Niagara Parkway are haunted. They come with a variety of stories and annual haunted tours.

Recently, I came across a legend that was posted online in 2012 about a witch that was being held prisoner in a silo in Ridgeway in the 1980s. While the websites and video of the legend gained quite a bit of attention, when I showed longtime locals the legend, no one had heard of it.

The Best Facet of Fort Erie

One last aspect of the Greater Fort Erie area that can be considered unique, but more highlighted as a characteristic of small-town living — a strong sense of community

We may have opinions that don’t always jive. That’s what makes us healthy humans with free will. But when it comes down to when it’s important — when it really counts — we turn to each other and we are there for each other, when necessary, go the extra mile for each other. This past December 23, and for the following several days, the community at large proved this well.

So, to the newcomers, I say, embrace the crazy of the crazy town that is Fort Erie.

There may be times in our town that cause you to question your recent residential choices. But please remember, the sense of connection and compassion this town has to offer will always outweigh those concerns. You will never have to face Fort Erie’s craziness alone.