Coldwater Twp. mobile home park nailed by Tuesday's severe weather

COLDWATER TWP. — A line of severe weather crossed Branch County about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, causing severe damage to Countryside Mobile Court at 191 North Fillmore Road in Coldwater Township.

Owner Marilyn Ostrander said five of the 25 mobile homes were unlivable, and four others needed repairs. “Thankfully, no one was injured," she said.

Ostrander brought in tree crews Tuesday night to clear the road. At daylight, bucket trucks and crews with chainsaws from Modert Tree Solutions and Your Guy Tree Service began removing trees and limbs from homes and vehicles.

Todd Smith was at his door when he said he heard a tornado. The wind picked up furniture and his E-bike off the porch and blew them around. A tree fell through his front bedroom.

Another resident, who would not give her name, heard a roar. Visible tree damage showed treetops pulled apart and dropped on the home and the street.

Residents reported that the storm moved through in less than four minutes.

Joyce Goodlett was at dinner with one son when the storm hit. A tree fell through her bedroom.

Wednesday, another son cut away the damage, waiting for insurance adjusters.

Ostrander said most of the homes were not insured. The park rents to those over age 55.

Many are disabled on fixed incomes. “I charge $250 a month. That’s all they can afford,” Ostrander said.

Ostrander and her son were walking through the park Wednesday morning, trying to help those whose homes were unlivable find places to stay.

Steve Brewster recently purchased his mobile home and was waiting for the title transfer. He did not have time to buy insurance.

As tree crews removed limbs from his roof, he hoped there was only truss damage. The inside was intact.

Residents waited for Consumers Energy to turn the power back on. Power outage maps said the location restoration was expected by 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Ostrander said water and sewer operated with a generator on the park system.

Ostrander purchased the 1954-built park 22 years ago. A similar storm struck Aug. 12, 2021, with much less damage.

Central dispatch reported other tree and storm damage near the Capri Drive-In at the airport to the northwest of Countryside. There was no damage between the two locations, including at the 70-acre Mastronardi greenhouses 100 yards northwest of the trailer park.

Maximum winds at the airport reached 58 mph.

Less than an inch of rain fell from the intense storms.

Branch County Road Commission crews removed trees from Girard Road at Dunks, U.S. 12 at Briggs Road, Wattles Road in Matteson Township, and the Kope Kon area of Kinderhook during the hour it took the storm to cross the county northwest to southeast.

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Tuesday’s temperatures rose to 97 degrees with a 105-degree heat index just before the severe weather crossed the county.

Temperatures fell to 87 degrees after it passed.

Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Coldwater Twp. mobile home park nailed by Tuesday's severe weather