Southwest Michigan Still Recovering from Multiple Tornadoes

0:00Thank you, Jamie for that and the whole morning crew. I've been looking at this whole raw milk thing and I don't get it I really don't so I'm glad that to J.R. Mornings will be tackling that tomorrow. I Don't know is raw milk important to you Michael. I I don't understand what the big deal is here No, I can't drink milk anymore, but back when I did I I don't think I would like to drink it raw No, I think a pasteurization Is there to make things safer? I thought so I don't I'm not gonna add her into the argument But I will be listening tomorrow for the J.R. Mornings on that whole raw milk thing crazy all right I'm to what we're doing here From the front page of the Detroit news today the great Detroit news and above the fold tornado galvanizes union city and the Neighbors community of Sherwood aides clean up after living through semilistorm in 2024 a date line union city in a story written by Carol Thompson

1:01Donna Clark was armed with a zippered bag full of gift cards and $50 bills on Monday as she made her way along Tuttle Park Drive an area hit hardest by the EF3 tornado with 160 mile per hour winds that swept through Southwest Michigan on Friday as she walked past the brush Littered with home insulation pieces of broken plywood and torn siding Clark stopped passerby to ask two questions first Were you impacted by the storm second? What do you need? It's kind of what we're talking about right now and we thank state representative the Republican from the 35th district representing Union City Representative Jennifer warts just how the recovery effort is going Representative warts welcome to focus with Paul W Smith. It is a pleasure and an honor to welcome you to the show Well, thank you so much and thank you for having me and for

2:02Yeah, bringing awareness to the needs in my community Well, you'll notice you've already noticed and I've noticed in all my years because I'm probably significantly older than you That this kind of tragic situation brings out the best in our neighbors and our Michigan family We have the most generous people in all of the world Within the sound of my voice here So I'm going to guess that the cleanup and the recovery efforts are intensifying in Branch County and that that mostly you have Good positive news for us Yes, very much so I mean to your point I was in Union City Saturday and Sunday and to see how Quickly our crisis response team within the county mobilized Through our sheriff's department and our emergency management responder

3:05and coordinated with You know the immediate kind of crisis there and locating To the school there in Union City and the plan that they had in place for disaster relief when it hit And by three o'clock on Saturday they had to put a sign up that they weren't taking any more donations because they had just been so overwhelmed with the support and the outpouring of Care and people that Want to give back and if you've listened at all to some of the press conferences that Tim Miner our research emergency response coordinator is given You know, we have been so very thankful But at the same time we also would ask that people would be respectful Sunday afternoon was the first time that the People most severely impacted were even able to return to their own properties and see the devastation and see the loss and um so

4:11just um We're asking for some time there for them to be able to process and work with their insurance agencies and then um in the next few days. Yeah cleanup will begin and There's the real specific ways and organizations that people can get involved if they want to do so to help with that That's my that's my next question, but a quick Mention that we're with state representative the republican from the 35th district representing union city Representative Jennifer warts and as you pointed out you were there right away And the residents say that strangers and volunteers quickly arrived with chainsaws heavy machinery supplies To help remove the fallen trees to clear the debris utility crews plumbers telecommunications workers from Nearby cities and townships have also been working to restore services and two points uh back to what you were saying We did say uh monday as soon as we were on the air

5:14That people were being asked not to come to the area that don't belong there And a lot of people were kind of coming because they were they were curious I'm sure there were people that were coming to help But a lot of people just wanted to see And and that's not something that you need so the question then And you started to give us an answer and I I want to give you all the time you need for that answer What can we do to help? Yeah, great question. Well I would say right now first and foremost Our community is going to need financial support It was estimated on Sunday and this is a low-ball number that we're going to need $50,000 in dumpsters for cleanup as we begin removing the debris and rubble there just off total road also Just Physical help with cleanup and there's a couple different organizations organizing that and ways that you can give

6:20American Red Cross you can give to financially our local branch county victim service unit And there's you can call them at 517-278-3091 And then some airtons per It's you go to sp volunteer.org They've already started to organize help with the Southwest Southwest Michigan tornado response teams And they are another Organization that does this day in and day out around the country and we are so blessed that they are coming and going to help and volunteer in our own community So let me because it's hard some people listening while they're driving and it's always going to be difficult to get while you're driving But you can when you get where you're going you can look up the local chapter of the American Red Cross The victim services number that the representative just shared with us 517-278-3091-517-278-3091

7:33And I think it was Billy Graham that started the Samaritan's Purse and I think I if I have the right organization now his son has taken over Yeah, so so we know that these are trustworthy Organizations and I hate to say it but Unfortunately at a time like this when I opened up our conversation with this brings out the best in people Unfortunately Some of the bad people out there also Rise or sink to the occasion. So you got to be careful the American Red Cross Victim services 517-278-3091-517-278-3091 or Samaritan's Purse And Billy Graham son and the Graham family they've been doing that for a long time and as far as I know completely trustworthy anything else Representative warts we need to know Yeah, I would just say as well There's also with AI and technology today a lot of fault

8:34Pictures filtering around out there. You might have saw one yesterday that somebody posted with a boat in a tree We have not seen a boat in a tree anywhere or a vehicle in a tree There's a lot of twisted up boats and destroyed vehicles There was in reference to a statement the governor brought up on monday and I would just like to say and communicating with our Local boots on the ground Most of the people in that area they get an alert on their phones There have been now some reports that have come out that a few did not And so um we are going to be you know Looking into that and confirming that unfortunately this storm shifted really fast And it's easy to play monday morning quarterback and place blame on someone but to use this as a political Talking point right now is quite offensive To me and to this community that's grieving um three people who died

9:39Really it's a miracle that no more than three people died Fox news has done some great reporting and interviews on the ground of survivors testimonies and How they anticipated Most of their neighbors to be dead and most of them walked away and so Um, I would just encourage people. Let's celebrate that. That's not start pointing fingers and placing blame right now Um, there will be a time in a place to see how could we have handled this differently But right now these this community and these people are grieving and I just would ask that you would respect that God bless you that was just we should record that and use that often Um, that's the perfect way to look at this and god bless the people in the union city area Who are taking the high road and understanding this isn't the time to be pointing fingers or turning something political There'll be plenty of time for that This is the time to help each other and somebody

10:41Who what sick mind would use AI to make things look worse than they are in an already horrible situation by putting a boat in a tree What is wrong with these people I I don't know but it's quite disgusting and in really Disparaging and as I said people are grieving enough. We don't need to add insult to injury here so Will put and I think so many of you who have come alongside you know that that's the few of the majority There was a beautiful prayer service on the night in union city spontaneously organized and less than 24 hours A high school student that gave a phenomenal prayer and um asked everyone to just bow and pray and be thankful And it's the hard and come together and what That should be the example we're following and that was from a 17 year old junior in high school wow

11:43That's powerful Thank you representative and aren't you lucky there having This person represent you in union city the 35th district the republican state representative Jennifer warts Thank you representative warts. What a pleasure and privilege having you on Thank you Paul. I just want to tell you my parents love listening to your show Have a blast day You know we got plenty of parents and grandparents and I love them all but we need some of their kids to listen to Jennifer Yeah, well, I'm now I'm now gonna be well most I'm actually walking into session now otherwise I would but I will try my off day So I know it's hard you and thank you. I know it's hard. Noon to two. God bless you. Thank you so much for your work And thanks be sure to thank mom and dad for me will you? I will do that. Thank you. Thank you state representative the republican from the 35th district representing well union city representative Jennifer warts and I'm sure her parents are very proud of her good work as well

12:48Henning toward 132 pull w here in focus on wjr