Residents of Hoover Beach in Hamburg left their homes Thursday, not sure when they would return, or what they would find in the wake of a forceful winter storm expected to pack waves with the potential for disastrous damage.
"Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, it does," said Sean Crotty, Hamburg emergency manager. "It really is a recipe for the perfect storm for them."
The town ordered mandatory evacuations of the 90 homes at the enclave on the shore of Lake Erie ahead of the storm expected to arrive Friday. Supervisor Randy Hoak said the town wanted to get the residents out and keep them safe.
The National Weather Service replaced the blizzard warning with a winter storm warning for Erie, Genesee, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.
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"We’re looking at some pretty serious waves coming up," Supervisor Randy Hoak said. "We’ve seen it happen in Hoover Beach time and time again. That lake is really rough along that section."
Hamburg is not the only place where flooding is expected.
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The National Weather Service issued a lakeshore flood warning from 7 a.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday for Erie, Niagara and Chautauqua counties. The lake level at Buffalo could exceed the flood stage by more than 4 feet.
Flooding also is likely along Route 5 and Woodlawn in Hamburg, Buffalo Harbor, Canalside, Buffalo Riverworks, Dunkirk Harbor and the Old First Ward, according to the weather service. Flooding along the upper Niagara River also could affect Grand Island, Cayuga Island and beneath the North Grand Island bridges at the Lasalle Expressway ramps.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said that the county has asked the New York Power Authority to increase the amount of water it can receive through the intake system at Niagara Falls "to reduce the amount of water in the river."
Hoover Beach has felt the brunt of storms in recent years, with winds whipping waves that have pushed some houses off their foundations, or spray from the waves covering houses in ice.
"No one's taking any chances," said Hank Kleinfelder of Midshore Drive. "You can't put first responders at risk."
Kleinfelder said residents have learned from prior storms, but this one is expected to be larger than any of them.
"It's just too stressful to hear all the waves hit," he said.
Authorities are worried about the winds pushing waters to the eastern end of Lake Erie in a seiche, combined with wind gusts up to 70 mph.
"There will be some coastal erosion, for sure," Crotty said.
Rob Dolan (right) hands a piece of plywood to Collin Markarian to put over the windows at Hoak's Restaurant in Hamburg on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.
Some Hoover Beach residents were worried about the waves crashing over their houses and freezing. But Kevin Hoak, who operates Hoak's Lakeshore Restaurant with his sister, Aileen Hoak-Lange, sees the flash freeze as a good thing.
"When waves crash, they will freeze on the building, and it’s going to protect it, act like a barrier," Hoak said. "You don't want 70 mph winds with 40 degree weather, because then that’s dangerous."
Like other property owners along that stretch of the lake, Hoak's boarded up its windows.
"We're prepared with that, just saying some prayers, hoping for the best," he said. "You can fix windows and outside patio furniture. Your health is more important when it comes to storms like this."
Barbara and Jack Schultz weathered many storms at Hoover Beach in their 65 years of marriage. He stayed through all of them, although she often went to their daughter's house.
But this year, no one will be there to make sure the house survives. Jack Schultz died on Christmas Day last year. Barbara Schultz went to stay with her son Thursday, contemplating the brutal waves smashing into the house.
"I don't know if I'll have a house or not," she said. "Just keep praying, that's all."
