FRUITPORT, Mich. — Edgewood Elementary School in Fruitport had part of its roof ripped off Thursday morning after strong winds swept through the area.
High wind warnings were in effect overnight Thursday into Friday morning from New Mexico all the way to the Upper Peninsula. In West Michigan, wind gusts reached between 50 and 65 miles per hour.
Fruitport Community Schools Director of Operations John Winskas said a call about wind damage at the elementary school came in around 3 a.m. A section was blown up from the back and created a parachute effect, making the roof fall into the parking lot.
Fruitport Community Schools closed Thursday following the incident, but the district also cited power outages and unsafe conditions as factors.
The strong winds caused power outages throughout West Michigan, and Muskegon County was one of the hardest hit. At 7 a.m., Consumers Energy reported 9,991 customers without power in Muskegon County.
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