Storms leave Unadilla Road impassable at Kaiser Road curve
by Mary Jo David
**UPDATED on Thurs., Aug. 29, 4:00 p.m.: According to the Unadilla Township Police Department, the Unadilla roads are all open but people should continue to use caution because Consumers Energy still has workers working in the area.
**UPDATED on Thur., Aug. 29 a.m.: According to the Unadilla Township Police Department: “Roads are clear but beginning at 7 a.m. on Thurs., Aug. 29, crews will begin a road closure on Unadilla Rd from Williamsville Rd to the bridge. We’re told this closure will last through noon, closed to public, one lane will be available for emergency response only. There is no definitive time for power restoration.”
Detour suggestions from UTPD:
- Heading south of the intersection: Williamsville Rd and then South on Roepke Rd. to Boyce Rd, then east on Boyce Rd to Joslin Lake Rd. You can then turn north or south depending on where you are trying to go.
- Heading north: Go to Boyce Rd, then north on Roepke Rd if you are going to Gregory or Stockbridge area. If you are heading east toward Pinckney, you may need to go as far south as North Territorial to go east, and then head north on the road that is heading to your destination.
Original story:
Two back-to-back, heavy rainstorms rolled through Unadilla Township and the surrounding area on Tuesday evening, Aug. 27, after 5:00 p.m., and in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
One resident posted online that she heard Unadilla experienced “a microburst” which is, according to the National Weather Service, “a downdraft (sinking air) in a thunderstorm that is less than 2.5 miles in scale.”
Another resident posted online that “It was definitely more than just a thunderstorm…we had devastating winds.”
The storms left extensive damage in their wake. One power line came down at Unadilla Road where it curves into Kaiser Road, causing the road to be closed, with no traffic able to get through.
The Unadilla Township Police Department was notified by Consumers Energy that five poles were broken or damaged in the immediate area of the intersection. There were a total of 11 broken or damaged in the general area.
As of 5 p.m. on Wed., Aug. 28, a notice on the Unadilla Township Fire Department’s Facebook page notified people that the “Unadilla/Williamsville/Joslin Lake/Kaiser corridor remains closed at this time. Crews are on site. Seek alternate routes. We will continue to update as the evening progresses.” **Update: The intersection was reopened at approximately 9 p.m. on Wed. with plans to close again for repairs Thurs. morning.**
Elsewhere on Facebook, Chief Wendy Hause replied to local residents requesting a status of the road on Wednesday. Hause said, “UTFD crews were out all night through 5:30 am this morning. Please be patient…”
A local resident who was out doing clean-up of his property around 5 p.m. on Wed., said two very large maple trees were uprooted on his property. He also mentioned about eight trees came down on his next door neighbor’s property.
For UTFD updates on the status of Unadilla Road at Kaiser Road, go to facebook.com/UnadillaTownshipFireDepartment/ .
All photos taken by Mary Jo David
Utility crews onsite at Unadilla Road where it curves into Kaiser Road. The road is impassable in both directions as of 5:00 p.m. on Wed., Aug. 28.
Trees down along the side of Unadilla Road, just north of the Unadilla Store.
Mary Jo David
Mary Jo David is a longtime writer and editor who moved to Gregory in 2018. She and her husband, Gary Hicks, are enjoying life in the country, including the Stockbridge Community News.