Mid-Michigan residents forced to pick up pieces after severe storms
By Trevor Sochocki, James Paxson
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SAGINAW, Michigan (WNEM) — Residents across mid-Michigan are picking up the pieces left behind by Tuesday’s severe thunderstorms that knocked out power to thousands, made powerlines go down, uprooted trees and caused damage to homes and vehicles statewide.
Consumers Energy said they have had more than 1,100 crews out in the field restoring power to thousands of residents since those powerful storms hit.
“The wind was so loud you couldn’t even hear the trees cracking,” said Jake Levy, Saginaw Township resident.
“’You aware we got a tree limb through your garage?’ And I was like, ‘what,’” said Marc Coleman, Saginaw resident.
“So, if it was one more step, Wyatt would have just been hit,” said Sarah Boshaw, St. Charles resident.
Three mid-Michigan residents with three different storm stories.
“Well, just noticed the sky getting dark and looked out to the west over the field like I always do, and just a sheet of white came at us and hit us out of nowhere,” Levy said. “There’s some car damage. My truck got hit, trampoline’s off in the neighbor’s, on their deck next to their house.”
Levy’s house was mostly untouched. Coleman could not say the same about his property.
“And it felt and sounded like something like an airplane crashed into the house, but as soon as I walk out of the room and look out the back window here, I saw something that I hope to never see again,” Coleman said.
A massive part of his neighbor’s tree broke off and fell on his garage.
Coleman considers himself lucky. A branch came in through the roof of his garage and it could have just as easily come in through his bedroom window.
“I was expecting minor to light rain, sprinkles on and off kind of here and there. But this was by far one of the worst I think that Saginaw, city of Saginaw has encountered in quite some time,” Coleman said.
In St. Charles, Boshaw’s son Wyatt asked to go visit his friend after the storm had passed.
“He just was frantic and shaking and he came back to tell me that a giant tree had fallen right in front of him when he was walking,” Boshaw said.
After her son calmed down, they went back to check the tree and it was no flimsy branch.
“But when I actually went and saw it and took pictures, I was dumbfounded. I’m like, like he cheated his death. He could have–that thing would have crushed him,” Boshaw said.
Both mom and son are OK. Next for many residents with damage is waiting on insurance.
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