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Community aids Jenison cleanup after microburst

Public infrastructure didn't suffer much damage, county leaders said.

JENISON, Mich. - After 80-mile-per-hour winds swept through Jenison over the weekend, members of the community are helping homeowners clear the wreckage. 

"It's probably one of the more destructive storms that we've had in a couple years," said Nick Bonstell, Ottawa County emergency management director.

The storm knocked down trees throughout Jenison, hitting a few streets off Baldwin Street especially hard. One home is uninhabitable after winds tore the roof off the building. 

"Thank God that nobody was hurt at all, and she could've been badly hurt because the house is destroyed," said Connie, who lives across from the home on Magnolia Street. A neighbor's tree uprooted and destroyed a shed in her backyard. 

"I've had trees go down, but nothing like this," she said. "It's kind of unbelievable, but storms are."

Ottawa County did not declare a state of emergency because most of the damage occurred on private property, Bonstell said. 

"The majority of all the personal property damage that happened, luckily, was insured," he said. "And that really helps on our side because that private insurance will help to help those homeowners out and get them on the correct path going forward." 

The county is still tallying damages based on property values in the area. 

"It's going to be a long road ahead," Bonstell said. "This is just a tremendous community event for that community. My first drive through in the daylight hours, there were already citizens out with chainsaws helping neighbors out."

 People were offering water and help remove trees over the weekend, said Rany Beek, who lives on Magnolia St. 

"The community just came together in a time of need, and it was really unbelievable," Beek said.

Volunteers from Rosewood Church also met Monday evening to help clear debris from neighbors' yards.

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