Van Buren County Sheriff's Department crews quickly repair storm damage

PAW PAW, Michigan — Heavy rain and strong wind gusts led to downed power lines and tree debris throughout Van Buren County Tuesday morning.

However, crews were prepared and were able to clear roads and manipulate power lines quickly.

According to Capt. Jim Charon of the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department, crews were dispatched at 7:30 a.m. and had all roads cleared by noon.

“When these events happen, everyone pulls together and works together to resolve these issues as they arise,” Charon told News Channel 3. “So when a tree falls on the road, can we send a deputy or firefighter?” , we are working with them and we are able to quickly resolve this situation.

Charon said crews were on site monitoring the storm and responding to areas that needed help. He credits the strong relationships with the county fire departments and the road commission as one of the reasons they were able to respond and handle situations in a timely manner.

“We're looking to see if there's any cloud rotation; that will be our priority and then just address the winds that are blowing and the trees that are toppled on the roads and remedy those situations,” Charon said.

He also said the storm presented challenges in terms of daily call volume. Dealing with storms on top of regular calls, like domestic assaults, exacerbates stressful situations and disperses their resources.

“Normal call volume never stops,” Charon said. “The storm is just adding to our call load, so we need to make sure we're on the ground, taking resources and handling these situations appropriately.”

Charon praised the preparation and speed of his team.

“I think it speaks volumes about the partnerships that we have formed with our highway commission, with our fire departments and everything else that helps clean up the situation quickly to ensure that the roads are clear and safe for everyone can cross them,” he said.

Van Buren County Central Dispatch confirmed to News Channel 3 that there were no serious injuries as a result of car collisions with debris or hydroplaning.