Reason #27 for living on the beach in Grand Haven, Michigan instead of Florida: No hurricanes, no tsunamis
Being in a hurricane, or fleeing from one would be unpleasant at best, but it is a real, ongoing risk living in Florida. And while tsunamis are a big deal on the West Coast, you don’t really think about them hitting Florida… and yet… the big one will come some day when a landslide in the Canary Islands produces an 80 foot wave striking the East Coast (including Florida).
On July 4, 1929, a 20-foot wave that scientists now believe was caused by a meteotsunami crashed over holiday beach-goers on a pier in Grand Haven. Ten people were pulled out into Lake Michigan and drowned.
Oops! Seems Michigan is not immune to a tsunami, and on very rare occasions the Great Lakes can even have a “baby hurricane”. Still, I will enjoy our four season climate and less potentially devastating storms.