UNION CITY, Mich. (WXYZ) — Union City High School has transformed into a community resource center in the days following deadly tornadoes that tore through Southwest Michigan, with volunteers arriving before 8 a.m. on a Sunday to help neighbors in need.
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The National Weather Service confirmed Union City was struck by EF-3 tornadoes with wind speeds of up to 150 mph. Three Rivers and Union City were among the hardest-hit communities in the storm system that swept through several counties in Southwest Michigan last Friday — the deadliest tornadoes to hit Michigan in decades.
Principal Amber Case said aid is being distributed around the clock at the school.
"There's hygiene products, cleaning products, so many clothes. There's building supplies here. We have those resources available as well," Case said.
Every item at the center was donated, along with additional monetary contributions to support relief efforts.
Jennifer Gautsche, a secretary at Union City High School, and her 17-year-old daughter Allison, have been volunteering at the resource center since the weekend. The two were among the first on the scene after the storm, loading up their truck with chainsaws to help clear debris from roads.
"From the get-go, we were getting in the truck, had chainsaws, and we were on the road trying to clear brush from roads," Jennifer Gautsche said.
Allison described their early response as something more than volunteering.
"So in a way, we were kind of first responders. We started on Eastern Tuttle Road," Allison said.
Tuttle Road was one of the hardest-hit stretches in Union City. Witnessing the destruction firsthand left a mark on both mother and daughter.
"I see this family just looking at their destroyed home. And I just hugged one of the ladies," Allison said.
Jennifer Gautsche said sometimes presence is the most powerful form of support.
"Sometimes the best thing to do is to be there. You don't have to say anything, but just to show that they're not alone," Jennifer Gautsche said.
For Case, watching her students step up in the aftermath has been an emotional experience.
"Oh, it's a roller coaster. I'm so proud," Case said.
Case said she hopes the tragedy serves as a lasting lesson for her students.
"We don't need a tornado to tell us that we have people who need help. And I would love for this opportunity to be a chance for students to kind of be reminded of that and to maybe take more awareness of their surroundings and what's going on in their day-to-day lives," Case said.
For Allison, the memory of the storm and its aftermath will stay with her.
"It's... the biggest destructive hit that I've seen. I'm going to remember what I saw and remember how people wanted to be helpful, how God is helping us through this," Allison said.
Her mother echoed that sentiment with a message about resilience.
"I hope that we remember Mother Nature is an incredible force when she wants to be, but community is stronger," Jennifer Gautsche said.
The resource center, located across from the high school, will remain operational for as long as the community needs it.
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