Cleanup continues in Three Rivers after Friday storms

By Robert Tomlinson
News Director

THREE RIVERS — One day after severe storms and a likely tornado swept through Three Rivers, the cleanup process is fully underway around the city.

Three Rivers residents, as well as volunteers from around the area, are starting to clean up debris and trees, while some are picking up the pieces following the extensive damage to homes around the area.

Kelly Hostetler of the St. Joseph County United Way, who is helping to coordinate volunteers alongside the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office Victim Services Unit, said she estimated hundreds of volunteers signed up to help the cleanup process. Volunteers started gathering at noon Saturday near Memory Isle Park to help out, and were dispersed to some of the more hard-hit areas.

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office said in a release Saturday that those who are wanting to volunteer can call (269) 467-9099 or (269) 251-2033.

Meanwhile, the Three Rivers Police Department is urging drivers to stay out of the city of Three Rivers, as they say the traffic is causing delays with power restoration and clearing debris from roadways.

Some, but not all, of that cleanup Saturday happened around the east and south sides of the city. On South Main Street, Desiree Patton’s house along the St. Joseph River was one of the ones damaged by the storm, and she was helping alongside friends and family to clean up trees and debris that fell in her front yard and backyard Saturday afternoon. She said the inside of her house, windows, and roof are damaged, and that earlier in the day, she couldn’t get out of her back door.

“The back door was completely blocked with trees. We couldn’t even get out,” Patton said, adding that seeing the damage from yesterday’s storms “broke my heart.”

Patton added that there have been residents of the city able and willing to help her clean up, something she said helped her “come out of the fog” of the aftermath of the storm.

“There were strangers coming up, and I was getting nervous because I don’t have any money. They just started cutting down stuff and started helping,” Patton said. “Watching my co-workers and customers from my work show up made me feel so warm inside. It’s not all about who’s going to cash in on this, because there’s so much love and support for one another, for complete strangers.”

On East Michigan Avenue, resident Charles Cook said his roof is caved in because of tree damage from the storm, and that while his cleanup is being handled, he recognized it’s “going to take a while,” noting the tree and wind damage at Riverside Cemetery.

“We’re just walking around and seeing stuff now, look at all the trees down in the cemetery,” Cook said. “It’s going to be a while.”

A shelter was set up beginning Friday night for displaced residents via the American Red Cross at Riverside Church, with hot meals, a place to sleep, and other services for those who don’t have a place to stay because of the storm.

Raul Galvan, the executive director of the Red Cross for southwest Michigan, said several people stayed overnight Friday at the shelter, and he expects more in the coming days.

“I know we’re getting the information out and we’re going to stay open, but we will continue to see what transpires,” Galvan said. “We’ll be open as long as needed. We’re waiting to make sure the routes are clear and power lines are up and it’s safe to get other organizations in to support the community, and maybe as more lanes open up, we’ll have more community coming in.”

Chanel Penn, the co-lead pastor at Riverside Church, said she has enjoyed seeing the community come together, both with setting up the shelter and with the cleanup efforts in the city.

“I love seeing the community come together, whether it was setting up beds, making food, making hot dogs late into the night, people just kept pouring in,” Penn said. “It’s been amazing to see the community rally around those in need. It’s incredible to see the community be the community. … The church is for the people to come and love one another and encourage one another. To have people in and out is a blessing.”

The St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Office says residents who have experienced property damage can submit a self-reporting survey through the county’s emergency management. They added that search-and-rescue operations are ongoing, but should be completed by the end of the day today. In Three Rivers specifically, there have only been minor injuries and no fatalities reported.

National Weather Service surveyors were out in the field surveying tornado damage in multiple areas affected by the storm Saturday, starting in Union City. This afternoon, it was reported the NWS categorized a tornado that touched down in Union City as at least an EF-3, and is subject to change pending final survey results.

In a post on Facebook Saturday, Indiana Michigan Power said that as of 3 p.m., 3,300 customers have had power restored out of the 5,200 that were out in the city. They said most customers will be restored by 11 p.m., with the Arnold Street/U.S. 131/Broadway Street and Sixth Avenue/Jefferson Street areas expected to have outages into tomorrow.

Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.