PLAINWELL, Mich. — Tuesday marks one week since a tornado hit Otsego and Plainwell, and the Allegan County communities are continuing their recovery efforts amid downed trees and debris.
Plainwell Department of Public Safety Director Kevin Callahan said there were no major injuries in the storm.
Residents like Char Maclaine are dealing with the aftermath at her home near Plainwell, where the back of her shed was torn off, though the koi fish in her pond remained untouched.
"Lots of cleanup after this tornado," Maclaine said.
Maclaine, 74, has been burning debris and clearing her yard.
"I’ve been cleaning brush, I’ve been cleaning up roots. I have my handy loppers here. One woman. A sawsall, and a set of loppers. That’s all you need," Maclaine said.
While burning debris, Maclaine had a minor mishap.
"Oh my gosh. Yesterday I’m bending over moving the... sticks in the fire pit. And I burned my bangs. Any cosmetologists out there?" Maclaine said.
Plainwell and Otsego neighbors share stories of resilience one week after a tornado hit
Despite the hard work, she remains positive.
"I’m 74. I can still do it. And I’m thankful for that," Maclaine said.
In Otsego, local businesses are also recovering. Olivia Andrade, owner of Mezzo Coffee, said the shop is in much better shape this week compared to last week when they almost ran out of food entirely. So many people stopped by, because much of the community was without power.
"Insane. But a good insane. Very busy," Andrade said.
"We saw a lot of faces we hadn’t seen before. So we’re grateful for that," Andrade said.
First responders are also reflecting on the storm. Callahan explained how the department handles these situations.
"I don’t know. It’s hard to prepare for, because they’re kind of rare. But it seems like we’ve had a rash of them recently. I know Martin was hit last year. You train for many disasters, just on a grander scale... you just put your plan in place, and take action," Callahan said.
Community support has been strong throughout the recovery. One neighbor I spoke with said her church showed up this weekend with a whole crew to help.
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