As expected, post-tropical storm Lee caused downed power lines and dangerous conditions when it hit Eastern Canada. But the hurricane also brought a rather unusual sight.
Sea foam had built up alongside roads at Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park in Nova Scotia on Saturday afternoon, and strong winds whipped the foam into the air, making it look like a winter storm in September.
Locals flocked to the beach and drove by to take videos of this phenomenon. In some areas, the build-up was several feet high. According to the US-based National Ocean Service (NOS), forms when “dissolved organic matter in the ocean is churned up.”
“Sea foam forms in this way — but on a much grander scale — when the ocean is agitated by wind and waves,” states the website. “Each coastal region has differing conditions governing the formation of sea foams.”
Locals in the area shared videos on social media.
ocean foam floods the road as we drive past Lawerencetown Beach this afternoon #novascotia #hurricanelee pic.twitter.com/yg8zaMNOQK
— chik white (@ccchikw) September 16, 2023
According to NOS, most sea foam isn’t harmful to humans and is actually often a sign of a “productive ocean ecosystem.” It’s only harmful when algal blooms decay near the shore.