Hunt Explains Why Ottawa Co. Didn’t Declare Emergency After May 15 Storms

OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, May 28, 2025) – Why did Allegan County declare a state of emergency, following a line of storms that struck the Lakeshore on May 15th, and not neighboring Ottawa County?

It was a matter of impact, according to Ottawa County Emergency Management Director Lou Hunt. Addressing the county board during Tuesday evening’s business meeting, he said that the estimated private damage was $8.1 million, with four destroyed homes, 21 residences with major damage, and 23 more with minor or slight damage. In addition, the public expense, incurred mostly by the Holland BPW and the Park Township Fire Department, was less than two percent.

While private property damage, mostly from fallen trees in the Waukazoo Woods neighborhood, was higher that Allegan County’s $2.2 million estimate, Hunt said that the $440,000 local government property damage south of the county line was greater.

Hunt added that the state’s disaster and emergency contingency fund is currently dry due to damage caused by the ice storm that struck northern Lower Michigan earlier this spring.