Storm tosses, twists trees in Van Buren Co.

WEST MICHIGAN (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Many across West Michigan were woken up in the middle of the night by the thunder and lightning that combined for an incredible display.

But for some people, especially in Van Buren and Allegan Counties, it wasn't so much the sound of thunder, but the sounds of crunching cars and homes that got them out of bed.

Newschannel 3 sent a crew to Van Buren County, where people were trying to pick up the pieces after the storms that swept through early Friday morning.

"It seems as though the wind liked us best last night," said Mark Mortensen of Breedsville, "everbody had a certain amount of it, but we got it best."

Mortensen lives along a stretch of County Road 380 in Breedsville that now looks like murderers row for trees after early morning storms twisted and toppled trees, taking out street signs and tossing utility poles. Mortensen said he knew it was bad when a tree near him fell.

"Of course the weather woke us up, and we got to the door to look out the first tree here snapped off and that was the very first signal for us to go to the basement, and we took that signal," said Mortensen.

Just down the road from Mortensen, tree service crews worked feverishly to clear fallen timber that poked a hole through a mobile home.

That left a number of migrant workers out on the street watching while crews tried to get the wood out.

With trees tossed in every direction, some people in Breedsville believe that the 4:00 am storm launched a tornado right down County Road 380.

"I can't tell you what it is except that it was a tremendous amount of wind and it sounded like a freight train, so who knows," said Mortensen.