PARK TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A strong line of severe thunderstorms struck West Michigan Tuesday morning, resulting in widespread damage. That same line of storms generated a meteotsunami, which was captured by a camera at Holland State Park.
WATCH HERE: Time-lapse of Holland State Park on Tuesday
A meteotsunami is a large wave that occurs due to air pressure disturbances. They are often driven by fast-moving weather events, including severe thunderstorms and squall lines. The fast-moving and strong line of thunderstorms generates a wave that is pushed on shore, eventually being amplified by the shallow inlet or bay. That can cause water to be pushed far inland, occasionally resulting in minor flooding.
According to the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, a minor meteotsunami occurred in Ludington and Holland on Tuesday.
A meteotsunami is different from a seiche, which has also occurred along the Lake Michigan shoreline in the past. The following was stated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in their discussion on the difference between a meteotsunami and a seiche:
Seiches and meteotsunamis are often grouped together, but they are two different events. Winds and atmospheric pressure can contribute to the formation of both seiches and meteotsunamis; however, winds are typically more important to a seiche motion, while pressure often plays a substantial role in meteotsunami formation. Sometimes a seiche and a meteotsunami can even occur at the same time. Seiches are standing waves with longer periods of water-level oscillations (typically exceeding periods of three or more hours), whereas meteotsunamis are progressive waves limited to the tsunami frequency band of wave periods (two minutes to two hours). Seiches are usually limited to partially or fully enclosed basins, such as Lake Erie. Meteotsunamis can occur in such basins but are also prevalent on the open coast. A single meteotsunami can travel long distances and influence a very large range of the coastline.
Tuesday's severe storms brought exceptionally strong wind gusts to West Michigan. Locations near Muskegon received wind gusts over 70 mph at times.
For the latest details on the weather in West Michigan, head to the FOX 17 Weather page.
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