Tornadoes Touch Down in West Michigan

Residents throughout West Michigan responded to tornado sirens on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, and headed to safety.

Those who live between Lake Michigan and Ionia County, including Holland, Zeeland, Hudsonville, Wyoming, and Grand Rapids, emerged from their shelters to find trees down, homes damaged, and power out across four counties. In one case, hundreds of trees were toppled at a local golf course.

An investigation by the National Weather Service confirmed that several EF-0 and EF-1-level tornadoes touched down in Van Buren, Allegan, Ottawa, and Kent counties. No injuries were reported. 

By Saturday night, the sound of chainsaws was amplified by a spirit of cooperation along the path of the tornadoes. Neighbors were helping neighbors, and friends and strangers reached out to help one another remove trees and debris from their homes.

World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS), with offices located just a few miles from the damage, has been actively connecting with partners, churches, and individuals to determine where help is needed.

On Tuesday, Aug. 23, DRS volunteers helped clean up a dozen trees that fell on a Jamestown resident’s property in Saturday’s storms.

The tornadoes caught many West Michigan residents by surprise and highlighted the importance of preparing for emergencies.

“My wife and I were up north on Saturday, but our son was home when we heard about the warning,” said Ross, a Jenison homeowner.

“We called and called, but he didn’t answer his phone, so we called a nephew to check on him. He took shelter in our fruit cellar just as he should have, but he didn’t have reception on his cell phone there.

“It was nerve wracking not being able to get a hold of him. Now we have a family agreement that we will call or text each other right away in emergencies like this.”

Kellie, another area resident said, “I heard the siren and told my kids to head downstairs while I grabbed the baby, his diapers, a bottle, and my phone. But I quickly realized I wasn’t as prepared as I thought I was for this kind of situation…. Now I have emergency supplies that will stay in our basement, including water bottles, baby items, a flashlight, snacks, and other essentials.”

Visit worldrenew.net/prepare-disasters for a step-by-step guide to creating a personalized family evacuation plan, assembling an emergency kit, and helping your community.

To give financially to help those affected by disasters in the U.S. and Canada this year, click here and designate your gift to North American Disasters 2016.