VIDEO: Mountains of thick ice pile along shores of Lake Erie

It looks like scenes from a movie or from deep in the arctic, but it’s actually Ohio!

Mountains of thick ice have piled up more than 30 feet high along the shores of Lake Erie. They’re sometimes called an “ice shove,” “ice heave” or “ice tsunami.”

The phenomenon starts with strong winds pushing ice towards shore. As the initial slabs reach land, they create a jam that results in piles of ice.

While many people were climbing on the chunks of ice, they can be dangerous, as the ice can move or surge rapidly without notice.

Last week, the Coast Guard issued a warning about potentially unstable ice on the Great Lakes. They say the volatile weather has “caused multiple ice rescue cases with one life lost in just the past week.”

Rescue crews responded last week following a report a man riding an all-terrain vehicle fell through the lake ice. The search continues for his body.

About the Author