Second homeowners are planning to stick around Door County this fall, and they are electing to keep their docks in the water. With work and school being done remotely because of COVID-19, there is less incentive for families to return to their primary residence after Labor Day, generally viewed as the unofficial end of summer. Judy Kerwin, from Bayside Dock, says the company is hearing from many that they want their piers to remain in place until late September or even October, but that carries with it significant risk. Kerwin says properties on the bay and Lake Michigan can be vulnerable to fall storms.

Just last year, two wind storms on Lake Michigan wreaked havoc in the middle of October. Severe erosion in western Michigan and northern Indiana wiped out dunes and threatened homes. Door and Kewaunee shorefront saw waves over 10 feet. Kerwin warns that if that kind of weather kicks up again, property management companies will be unable to get to everyone in time.