SHERWOOD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The sound of heavy machinery and the smell of smoke were as constant as the wind on Monday as cleanup from the Union City tornado entered its second week.
Ten days removed from the deadly storm, debris was still being sorted into heavy, heaping piles that were then loaded into dumpsters and driven to a landfill.
In a nearby field on private property, a burn pile filled with fallen trees cast a wispy cloud over the operation.
Thousands of volunteers have helped thus far in the recovery effort, according to Branch County Emergency Management Director Tim Miner, and there remains much more work to be done.
"Visibly, a lot of things have changed," Miner said to me on Monday, sitting in a mobile command center in a neighborhood on the northern shore of Union Lake, where the tornado hit the hardest.
"But the weather and wind has not been cooperative."
While Miner has tried to get drone footage of the pile-pushing progress made by people in excavators and skid-loaders, several days of high winds have not permitted it, nor has the weather allowed crews to begin removing debris from the lake.
"The water is still a challenge," Miner said.
In the meantime, a fire hose inflated with air and an "aqua fence" are currently preventing both floating and submerged debris from drifting further into the lake.
Miner also says Branch County has waived demolition fees and other regulatory hurdles as a way to speed up the cleanup.
"Red tape did not hold us up," he said. "People did what they should in these kinds of situations. So, we got through it."
People who are not offering a helping hand but rather trying to catch a glimpse of the damage for themselves are slowing down the recovery, Miner said, calling them "gawkers" who get put a drain on resources when they get their cars stuck in the mud.
"If people stay out of our way, we can do it a lot better," he said. "Come see our progress when we're done."
If people want to donate, Miner suggests directing such generosity to the Branch County Community Foundation or the American Red Cross.
"What I'm doing down here is temporary," he said. "What they're doing is helping them for the next year, helping them put their lives back together. They need money to do that, so get with those organizations."
"I don't need a shovel, I don't need a wheelbarrow, I don't need a rake. I don't need anything here. I got everything I need. I need a little more space."
On Tuesday, state and federal officials are expected to tour the damage left by the tornado and assess whether it warrants a call for a federal disaster declaration or additional governmental assistance.
