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Eastlake braces for Chagrin River thaw

A reverse 911 call about possible flooding was sent to Eastlake residents on Monday.

It was almost 2 weeks ago when massive frozen chunks of ice took the path of least resistance and forced their way into Jean and George Burington's backyard.

"We never had this much ice in our yard," George says as he stands among the shrinking frozen pieces of the Chagrin River.

Massive frozen ice chunks from the Chagrin River in the backyard of Jean and George Burington

By Monday, the mini-glaciers had melted into stepping stones leading from their boat dock in a soggy yard.

Living for 10 years on this bend of the Chagrin channel, just before ice jams dump into the lake, the Buringtons know what to expect.

"We look down see this white stuff coming down the channel side to side like someone flipped a switch," George paints the picture of what's likely on it's way again.

More ice from the Chagrin River near Jean and George Burington's yard

On Monday at about 4 p.m., they got the reverse 911 call with the first heads up from Eastlake of potential flooding.

Jean was not surprised.

She points out the water rolling by out back is higher than usual after a massive melt just in one day with temps in the 60s

"This was covered. The chunks were piled up high. You can see the chunks across the river that's how high they were here," she points to a slab at least 6 inches thick.

George explains the kind of force when those break free, pointing to a post in the middle of the yard that used to be on the dock.

"I had one of those polls there with a metal plate holding it and it took it and it just turned it up and off. that's how powerful that is when it comes down," says George.

"I saw picnic tables, just chunks and trees coming down oh my word pieces of furniture you name it, parts of buildings," Jean recalls.

For now the glacier like ice chunks that were thicker than than their shirt-zu Rufus Anne is tall, are now still like frozen stepping stones.

Now Jean and George are waiting on the rain on Tuesday to loosen up the latest ice jam that's still looming large.

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