Storms cause severe erosion at Indiana Dunes

PORTER, Ind. — The manager of a northwestern Indiana park that includes dunes overlooking Lake Michigan says waves as high as 25 feet tall unleashed by this week's winter storms caused severe erosion at the park and surrounding areas.

Indiana Dunes State Park property manager Brandt Baughman tells the Post-Tribune of Merrillville that the erosion left sand cliffs about six feet tall in the park. He says the waves that scoured the shoreline during Sunday and Monday's storms caused damage that stretched west to beach properties in Porter, Ogden Dunes and Dune Acres.

Porter building inspector Art Elwood said that before the storm, the owners of private beach properties could walk down the sloping dunes all the way to the beach. Now, they have 12- to 15-feet tall sand cliffs in their way.