PORTAGE, Mich. — Mother nature has taken another toll on Portage with severe thunderstorms overnight that damaged homes.
Abdul Shaikh, has called Portage home for 35 years and has never been impacted by severe weather, but today he's grateful to be alive after thunderstorms came crashing down into his bedroom while he was asleep.
“I heard a big thump as if something happened and the next thing I could hear was water pouring in, so I turned the light on and I could see the two holes in the ceiling and water was coming down very bad," Shaikh said.
Shaikh said the tree branches came through his roof leaving behind holes big enough to let sunlight and potentially small rodents in. He said he had several buckets in his room to catch the water and then emptied them in his shower which kept him busy for several hours.
“I collected a lot of water and was just praying that this rain would stop, so I was busy from 11:30 am until 3:30 am and then the rain finally stopped,” Shaikh said.
Adam Herringa, chief operating officer with the city of Portage, said the storm has made it more difficult for those still recovering from the tornado last month.
"This is our third natural disaster in about 16 months,” Adam Herringa said. First was the ice storm of last year, followed by the May 7th tornado and now and now this severe weather outbreak, so it's tough to tell residents really how to respond, other than to be assured that Portage is going to respond to this event and we'll come back stronger."
As mother nature sets foot on a community already healing from previous weather damage, Shaikh remains hopeful and will continue to call the city of Portage home.
"I was saved and I was thankful to the Lord, and now I've been hit by the storm but things happen,” Shaikh said. "This is a part of life, but considering the family and everyone is happy and healthy, the neighbors are doing fine, those types of things happen, so be it."
Special cleanup efforts for last night’s thunderstorm will be available next month as city officials remind residents to be patient as they continue to respond to and assess damages.
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