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Lake Erie homes covered in ice after being battered by gale-force winds and waves

WATCH: It was an eerie sight along the shores of Lake Erie in Hamburg, N.Y., as many homes were left covered in a thick layer of ice as days of gale force winds, high waves and low temperatures combined to create this winter wonderland.

Strong winds and freezing temperatures left houses along Lake Erie completely covered in ice last week.

In video footage filmed by Hamburg, N.Y., resident Lisa Kreuder, homes can be seen encased in dark ice, which seem to be frozen in time, slanted to the side as if the wind was still blowing.

The incredible storm brought gale-force winds and 5.5-metre waves off the shoreline on Feb. 28. Houses were left looking like they were stuck in a “new ice age,” Kreuder told Storyful.

“This is Mother Nature’s worst, but in the summer sunsets are beautiful,” she added.

Hoover Beach resident Ed Mis said he’s never experienced weather quite as bad as his hometown has seen the past couple of months.

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“I actually had to go out a secondary door and then chisel my way back into the house by breaking the ice,” Mis told the broadcast station.

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When he wasn’t working on his own home, Mis was checking on neighbours, one whose home was almost fully encased in frozen water.

“It looks fake, it looks unreal,” he told CNN. “It’s dark on the inside of my house. It can be a little eerie, a little frightening.”

Click to play video: 'Cat trapped on top of pole rescued by Toronto Hydro'
Cat trapped on top of pole rescued by Toronto Hydro

There was no ice on his home on Thursday, but by Friday morning it was covered.

While the phenomenon certainly makes for incredible photos, the reality of the storms isn’t so enjoyable for Hamburg residents.

“This is like our sixth storm in a matter of a few months, and it’s kind of wearing on everybody,” Mis told ABC, adding that he’s most concerned about what will happen to homes when the ice melts.

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“We’re worried about the integrity, of structure failure when it starts to melt, because of the weight on the roof,” Mis added to CNN.

Several power lines and trees have collapsed underneath the weight of the ice.

meaghan.wray@globalnews.ca

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