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'A green version of the Fourth of July': Kalamazoo resident reflects on impact of winter storm

Kalamazoo residents recover from winter storm
Residents recover from winter storm
Posted at 5:54 PM, Feb 23, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-23 18:11:58-05

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Parts of Kalamazoo are recovering from Wednesday's storm. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) says they had to respond to 300 calls between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Neighborhoods that are usually quiet heard the sounds of trees falling down as the storm progressed. On Thursday, many woke up to hanging wires inches away from their homes, and tree limbs scattered along their yards.

"What I really saw was fireworks, from the electrical lines, sort of like a green version of the Fourth of July," said Kalamazoo resident, Pat Hollahan, who panicked when she saw the sky light up. "Ran downstairs to unplug everything I could find to unplug in case the power did go out."

She says that around 12:30 a.m., a tree had come down, blocking the entire street.

"The fact that it came pretty close to my neighbor's car, you know, that's frightening," she told FOX 17.

While the storm may have passed, city crews have been in several neighborhoods cleaning up as best as they can while trying to stay safe. KDPS Police Captain, Scott VanderEnde encourages residents to be patient as the clean up process will take a couple days.

Residents can see all of the emergency updates on the Kalamazoo City Emergency Management's Facebook page.