Grand Rapids, Mich. — Power restoration efforts are ongoing throughout West Michigan as communities continue to recover from a powerful storm that swept through the region over the weekend. With severe weather expected to return Wednesday evening, residents and businesses are bracing for another round of challenges.
In Ada Township, many residents are still recovering from a power outage that began on Sunday night. One resident shared their frustration, noting that power was only restored Tuesday evening, nearly two days later. “I don’t even want to think about that storm, since we just got our power back up,” they said. “We lost power Sunday night around 6 p.m. We just got it back about an hour ago. It’s pretty challenging.”
Meanwhile, in East Grand Rapids, residents are dealing with the aftermath of lingering street flooding. Reed’s Lake Boulevard, a major thoroughfare, remains blocked off to cars, cyclists, and pedestrians due to rising water. Local residents reported that this flooding occurs regularly during significant rainstorms, and they are anticipating more of the same as Wednesday’s weather system approaches.
At the intersection of Cascade and Laraway Lake, power crews from Consumers Energy have been working to repair downed lines, restoring power to affected neighborhoods. The utility company estimates that power will be fully restored by 8:45 a.m. on April 2.
Local businesses are also feeling the strain of the storm’s aftermath. Steve Johnson, the owner of Larry’s Tree Service, described a particularly hectic week. From his vantage point on the Thornapple River, he spotted a massive tree resting on top of a boat house, which could become another job for his crew. “I’ve got a barge with a crane on it for doing the waterwork,” Johnson explained. “Trying to reach out to that customer and maybe we will be taking that off their shed here in the next couple of days. It’s been very busy, though. Phones have been ringing a lot. It is hard to keep up.”
Johnson expressed concern about the potential for more damage from the impending storms. His crew, already working overtime to address the damage from Sunday’s storm, may struggle to keep up with the additional workload. “Just finding the guys to keep up with the workload is going to be the biggest challenge, I think,” he said.
As severe weather looms, local authorities and residents alike are preparing for the next round of storms. With power restoration efforts still in progress and the possibility of more flooding and wind damage, the coming days will likely bring further challenges for West Michigan’s communities.
