FENWICK, Mich. — A Fenwick family is picking up the pieces of what's left of their home after a tornado tore through Montcalm County earlier this week, leaving behind widespread destruction.
The storm caused severe damage to the Staines home that had been in the family for generations. Large sections of the house were ripped away, a nearby barn was completely destroyed, and more than ten trees were uprooted.
Rachelle MacDonald said she was at her primary residence in Fenwick when the tornado struck Tuesday night, just about a mile from her grandparents’ home that suffered the damage.
“It’s emotional, definitely a lot to go through,” MacDonald said.
When she arrived to assess the damage, the extent of the destruction was overwhelming.
“The roof was ripped off, the house came right off the foundation by about two feet, windows were smashed in,” she said.
MacDonald said the home held deep sentimental value. Before her grandparents passed away, they took great pride in maintaining the property.
“Grandpa took very much pride in the house, the trees, and the grass, it always looked so meticulous,” she said.
Now, she says, it’s difficult to imagine how her family would react to the damage left behind.
“He would be devastated right now—grandma and grandpa both, and my mom,” MacDonald said. “So I’m just so thankful that nobody was in the home and that they weren’t here to experience this.”
Despite the loss, the family is focusing on what matters most: safety and recovery. MacDonald says they are taking the situation one day at a time as they begin to figure out what comes next.
