Tag Archives: Tornado

374K without power in Michigan after severe storms – safety tips for weathering a power outage

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Utility companies work to restore power to over 374K customers after severe storms sweep through Michigan (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)

By Deborah Reed

deborah@wktv.org

Widespread damage extends over Michigan after severe storms and suspected tornados tear across the state on Aug. 25.

75-mph winds left 374,000 Michigan utility customers without power on Friday, Aug. 25, from Grand Rapids to the southeast side of the state.

The storm damaged structures, took down trees and power lines, and resulted in closed roads for several hours.

The Grand Rapids National Weather Service reported that officials will be in the field Friday to conduct damage surveys on tornadoes suspected in central Kent County and northeast Ingham County.

Consumers Energy and DTE Energy have reported that crews are out and working to restore power.

What to do until power is restored

Storms took down trees, power lines, and damaged structures (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)

Power outages can cause food spoilage, water contamination, disrupt communication and transportation, and prevent use of medical devices. Loss of power can also restrict consumer access to ATMs, banks, grocery stores, and other services.

Here are some safety tips provided by ready.gov in case of power outage:

  • Check with local officials about heating and cooling locations open near you, and go to a community location with power if heat or cold is extreme.
  • Keep freezers and refrigerators closed to prevent food spoilage.
  • Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
  • Disconnect appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges – power may return with momentary surges or spikes that can cause damage.
  • Have alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or using power-dependent medical devices.
  • Use a generator, but ONLY outdoors and away from windows.

Generators can be helpful when the power goes out, but it is important to know how to use them safely to prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and other hazards.

  • Generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages.
  • Install working carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can kill you, your family and pets.
  • Keep the generator dry and protected from rain or flooding. Touching a wet generator or devices connected to one can cause electrical shock.
  • Always connect the generator to appliances with heavy-duty extension cords.
  • Let the generator cool before refueling. Fuel spilled on hot engine parts can ignite.
  • Follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

Follow US National Weather Service Grand Rapids Michigan for continual updates.

Six years after a tornado, the City of Wyoming celebrates the reopening of Ideal Park

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

It has been six years since children played on its playground. It has been six years since family sat at the picnic tables. On Aug. 18, the City of Wyoming ended the six-year wait and officially reopening Kent County’s oldest park, Ideal Park.

In 2014, a tornado, straight-line winds, and flooding, damaged the park’s playground equipment, tennis and basketball courts and uprooted many of its trees, some of which were more than 100 years old.

“In a matter of seconds a park that was magnificent, majestic, mature was destroy,” said Doug Wustman, chair of the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Commission. “Ninety-eight percent of the canopy was laying on the ground and there was nothing but twisted, shredded, uprooted trees is all that you saw. The out buildings, the picnic shelters, the restrooms, everything was just gone in a matter of seconds.”

 

The Wyoming City team who helped to redesign Ideal Park with residents’ input. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

It was not just the park that was impacted by the storm, but the entire area.

 

“In 2014, the whole community was devastated and we had to hold off doing anything in Ideal Park until we could get the residences built in the area, said City of Wyoming Director of Community Services. The city spent $500,000 to remove the trees and debris from the park only to have flooding and another tornado in 2016.

“It has been a practice in patience for our residents,” Rynbrandt said. “As you can see our community is resilient and this park is a result of their commitment. The commitment of engaging in design so we could make sure that what is featured today really came about because it was what they wanted.”

The city spent more than $800,000, of which was a Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant of $508,000, reconstruction the park, located at 5843 Crippen Ave. SW. This included moving many of the amenities to the east side of the park along with improved traffic control for vehicle and pedestrian safety.

One of the unique features to Ideal Park’s playground are these all accessible swings. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

New amenities include restrooms, a shelter, and a playground that offers special new features.

 

“The playground is universally accessible,” Rynbrandt said. “We made a strong commitment that people of all abilities can come and play in our community.”

The playground features a tile form of the cushion-style playground surface that is similar to the one at Frog Hollow. The advantage of the tile is that the city can replace sections easily without having to replace the entire surface, Rynbrandt said.

 

At each of the city’s parks, the city tries to incorporate special elements that are unique to that park and for Ideal Park that includes modified swings, a climbing rope and a modified whirler.

 

Ideal Park also has a trailhead connecting to the interurban trail system that starts in Byron Center and goes through Kentwood and on into Grand Rapids.

 

There is excitement about reopening Ideal Park, Rynbrandt said, but also a little sadness in that the one item the city could not bring back was the 300-year-old trees that were the canopy of the park. However, the reopening of the park and the new amenities it offers will make new memories for residents today and tomorrow, Rynbrandt said.

 

“I am thankful to the people of the Ideal Park area for their patience and understanding because today we have a rebirth, we have a new parkThat they can enjoy for generations to come,” Wustman said. “2020 has been a rough year for everybody because of the pandemic environment we’re living in, so to see people laugh and even shed a tear at time, yeah I look forward to that. To life back to normal.”

Wyoming works to clean up after Saturday’s tornado

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It’s the Monday after and residents and city officials of Wyoming continue to assess the damages left after Saturday’s tornado passed through the city.

 

The National Weather Service teams are currently surveying the damage caused and have confirmed tornado-related damage in Van Buren, Allegan, Ottawa and Kent counties. In its preliminary review, the National Weather Service has the tornado in Wyoming listed as an EF-0 which is weakest rating with winds between 65 to 85 mph. The tornados in Van Buren, Allegan and Ottawa were listed as EF-1 with winds 86 to 110 mph in the preliminary findings. The 2014 tornado that hit Wyoming was classified as an EF-1.

 

There were no related deaths or injuries from the storm just trees up rooted hitting homes and blocking roads along with a lot of debris.

 

“The teams at City Hall have been working through the weekend, answering residents’ questions, connecting them with the Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc.,” said Mary Ann Sabo with Sabo PR, the city’s public relations firm.

 

In fact, shortly after the storm, Mayor Jack Poll, in a video on the city’s Facebook page, was talking to residents and mentioned he was among the city officials going door-to-door in affected neighborhoods checking on residents. Other city staff was out clearing debris, inspecting structures and responding to medical emergencies.

 

In a statement released today, Poll said “Our Public Safety teams have done a tremendous job handling first response calls, and we so appreciate the support from Kent County and neighboring jurisdictions. Public Works, Inspections, Parks & Recreation, along with our Administrative team, have done an incredible job meeting the needs of our residents. Storm cleanup is well underway, with neighbors helping neighbors.”

 

Wyoming received helped from several departments from Byron Township, Caledonia, Cutlerville, Dutton, Kentwood, Georgetown, and Grandville.

 

Because of commitments to help clean up, Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce President Bob O’Callaghan said they have lost a few volunteers for this weekend’s Metro Cruise, but the event is expected to take place Friday, Aug. 26, and Saturday, Aug. 27 as scheduled.

 

“The city has a crisis response plan that was immediately put into play,” Sabo said. “The process is to focus on immediate needs first, then turn attention to areas like parks.”

 

Due to damage and safety concerns, five of the city parks are close until further notice. Those parks are Pinery, Lemery, Prairie, Ferrand and Buck Creek. The Parks & Recreation team is contacting those with park reservations to see if events can be relocated or rescheduled. Reservations canceled by the storm will be refunded unless the reservation was relocated to another park or facility. For reservation questions, call 530-3164.

 

As of today, Consumers Energy has restored power to all but a few homes in Wyoming. Working with the American Red Cross, a resource center has been set up at Gladiolia Elementary School, 3500 Gladiola Ave. SW today through 5 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents may coordinate tree removal help and other issues at the center. The Red Cross will have disaster kits available as well.

 

Debris removal is probably the biggest item facing residents with the city’s yard waste center at 2660 Burlingame Ave. SW, being opened 24 hours a day through Saturday, Aug. 27. The city received kudos on its Facebook page for this with Kathy Walcott posting “Can’t say enough good things about [City of Wyoming]. Friends were amazed we dropped off over eight trailer loads of debris without paying! Thanks for stepping it up when it was needed.”

 

The yard waste center will be closed Sunday, Sept. 4 through noon Thursday, Sept. 15. Public Works crews are working on picking up debris. If you need the crew to come through your street or to make arrangements for a drop off at the yard waste center after Aug. 27, contact the Public Works Department at 530-7260. City officials are asking that all storm debris be placed behind the sidewalk and not in the public right-of-way.

 

Also the City of Wyoming is waiving the fees for building or electrical permits for storm-related repairs. Residents still must secure a permit before making those repairs.

 

Wyoming residents who need assistance that is not related to debris removal or have other storm-related questions may call call 530-7226 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Have storm debris? Self-serve yard waste facility is open Sunday, Aug. 21 from 9 am-6 pm

Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Community Health, Hard News, Our Cities, , , ,

@hvillewxman Blake Harms
Scene at Wilson & 68th in Grandville shortly after the tornado. Photo courtesy of Blake Harms @hvillewxman

By Victoria Mullen

WKTV

 

If you have branches, limbs and brush to dispose of after Saturday’s storm, you may bring them to Grand Rapids’s yard waste facility at 2001 Butterworth Street SW from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday, Aug. 21. The facility is self-serve, so you’ll have to bring the storm debris yourself.

 

At least four radar-reported tornadoes downed trees, damaged homes and snapped power lines on Saturday, August 20. Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Wyoming sustained most of the damage, and at least 25,000 Consumers Energy customers lost power in Allegan, Barry, Kent and Ottawa counties since the storm.

 

NWSBecause the tornados were wrapped in rain, they were not visible to viewers. There were no reported injuries.

 

The National Weather Service said that damage surveys will be conducted on Sunday to determine the number, wind estimate and severity of the tornadoes.

 

 

Tornado forever changes Wyoming’s Ideal Park

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Ideal Park TornadoThe City of Wyoming has owned & operated Ideal Park, 5843 Crippen Avenue SW, since 1938. On July 6, 2014, the park was significantly changed when a tornado destroyed the playgrounds and most of the trees, changing the character of the park so that a new development plan is necessary to guide investment priorities.

Ideal Park Tornado

The tornado’s destruction, coupled with regular flooding from Buck Creek has also resulted in the need to renovate the parking lot, basketball and tennis courts. All combined, this requires us to evaluate the park’s design, facilities, and functional relationships related to your family’s interests, community programming needs, and general public uses.

 

Your input is actively sought and greatly desired.

 

Please join the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department and our consultant P.M. Blough, Inc. to share your ideas and opinions on the park and its future redevelopment:

 

When: TUESDAY DECEMBER 2, 2014 6:30 pm

 

Where: IDEAL PARK CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH ACTIVITY CENTER 320 56TH ST SW Wyoming, MI 49548

Ideal Park Tornado

 

Residents, business owners, school representatives – everyone who has an interest in Ideal Park’s use and development is strongly encouraged to attend this meeting. If you are unable to attend, written comments may be submitted to the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department at P.O. Box 905, 1155 – 28th St. SW, Wyoming, MI 49509 or may be emailed to parks_info@wyomingmi.gov.

 

On behalf of the City Council and Parks and Recreation Commission, thank you for helping make our community a wonderful place to live, work, and play.