CENTREVILLE — A National Weather Service track map showed peak winds reached 130 mph last month in St. Joseph County.
St. Joseph County Emergency Services Director Erin Goff and St. Joseph County United Way Executive Director Kelly Hostetler last week provided county commissioners a summary of the May 7 tornadoes that struck St. Joseph and Branch counties.
Goff said data confirmed the tornado followed a path of nearly 20 miles in all — nearly 14 miles in St. Joseph County and six miles in Branch County. The widest point of its path was 950 yards, Goff said.
“The incident response began immediately by fire, law enforcement and EMS partners; in many places there were roads impassable due to downed trees and power lines,” Goff said.
She said two people were injured and a third was provided assistance because he was unable to make it home for health-related treatment.
Goff said per her recommendation, county board chairman Ken Malone declared a local state of emergency around 10:30 that night. She explained that such a declaration alerts state officials that a natural disaster occurred and the county is relying on every resource it has available to aid residents.
“It also alerts them to the possibility of us asking for assistance and support from different state entities,” she said. “We previously applied for and received (state) funding for cities, villages and townships during the August 2021 straight-line wind event. So, (funding) is not guaranteed but the state will be hosting a briefing for us later this month to start the application for the county and the affected townships.”
She said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on June 6 requested a presidential-disaster declaration on behalf of St. Joseph County. As of Tuesday, Goff said Whitmer is awaiting a response. If a presidential-disaster declaration is made, doors could open for individual assistance.
“An individual-assistance program is designed to provide services to those who were affected by a disaster and who have uninsured or under-insured, necessary expenses and serious needs,” she said. “Any help the state or federal government is able to provide to the county will definitely be communicated to everybody as soon as we have that information.”
Damage was most extensive in Nottawa, Colon and Leonidas townships, in the northeast quadrant of the county.
Goff acknowledged Consumers Energy for its commitment to restoring electricity as quickly as it did. She expected power restoration about a week from the date of the incident; power was restored in most cases within 36 hours, she said.
“I’m also really proud to work with a team that responded to a disaster the way this one did,” she said, singling out Colon Fire Department and its chief, Matt Overholt. “It’s hard work for long hours and I never heard a single complaint from anybody.”
Hostetler, meanwhile, said she was traveling to Centreville from Sturgis and witnessed cloud formations that would suggest a tornado is imminent. She called it the scariest thing she had ever seen.
Local businesses provided food for Hostetler to take to Colon Township Fire Department, which served as a hub for residents in need of food, water, a place to charge phones, rest and for any other need.
An impromptu fund collection netted $18,000 practically overnight, Hostetler said. Consumers Energy pitched in $5,000 and provided seven skids of bottled water.
In addition, Colon American Legion paid nearly $5,000 for Dumpster rentals. Hostetler said United Way paid for three additional Dumpster rentals and also contributed toward rental of a Bobcat to aid with clean-up efforts.
“It was a traumatic time for all of us,” she said. “A lot of us didn’t get any sleep for several days or see our families. But, it got done, I feel very good about the work we did and I appreciate all of your support.”
Goff said anyone still in need of assistance should contact Hostetler at the St. Joseph County United Way, 467-9099. The Red Cross also has aid available. Its number is 1-800-RED-CROSS.
Malone and commissioners commended Goff, Hostetler, first responders and volunteers for helping residents and communities recover from the disaster.
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