DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Winter conditions had the National Weather Service issuing gale warnings and the coast guard reminding people of the dangers of mixing wind and water.
The sounds of the storm are loud and clear in Door County where a non-stop barrage of waves pounded the area near the Sturgeon Bay Lighthouse.
Pushed by 30 miles per hour winds, waves build and build as they head a quarter mile toward land along the break wall.
“Closer to shore, you’ll have breaking, breaking surf. So that’s where the whitecaps come, and deeper out, you’ll have rolling waves that are bigger, four to seven feet. And that’s a big wave,” said Garrit Speckhard, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class.
On Thursday morning, the National Weather Service issued a Gale Warning for Lake Michigan until Friday morning. As part of the alert, winds could reach 45 miles per hour, and waves could be 8-12 feet.
Speckhard says getting caught in the surging surf can cause hypothermia.
“You have about 10 minutes of movement, an hour of consciousness,” he said.
The U.S. Coast Guard operates a search and rescue station at the east end of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, and officials say they respond to several rescue calls each season. Guard members say on days like Thursday, people should stay on shore.
“Our biggest thing is to stress safety. So if you can avoid going out in your boats, definitely,” said Speckhard.
