LAKE VERMILION—The combination of record mild temperatures in late February and more seasonable temperatures in early March, has prompted dramatic ice movement on Lake Vermilion.

The south shore of Birch Point, which faces Big Bay, has seen some of the most extensive damage, as the ice has twisted lift docks, damaged boat houses, downed trees, and rearranged sizeable chunks of shoreline.

Only a handful of docks along the heavily-developed lakeshore have so far escaped damage from the ice. Many docks have been damaged beyond repair.

The pressure of expanding ice is typically relieved out in the lake, where large pressure ridges often form. But those ridges didn’t form as usual this year, and that left the shorelines vulnerable to the immense power of expanding ice.

Lake property owners are likely to be shocked when they arrive back at their cabins and lake homes later this year. And the cost of repairs could be especially painful since, in many cases, the damage is likely not covered by insurance.

“It will depend on their individual policies,” said Donna Mosher, with the Tower-Soudan Agency, which serves many Lake Vermilion property owners. She said standard insurance policies typically don’t cover ice movement, which can be a frequent source of property damage in areas where thick ice builds up in winter. Many property owners on Vermilion and other larger area lakes have turned to lift-out docks to minimize their risk of damage, but this year’s unusual conditions are leaving many of those docks damaged or destroyed as well.

Some property owners do obtain insurance that includes a specific schedule or rider to cover more expensive docks, according to Mosher, but that’s usually the exception rather than the rule. “I’ve had to tell people ‘no’ already,” said Mosher. “It’s unfortunate.”