Michigan Storm Chasers provide disaster relief after southern winter storm
Last year, the Michigan Storm Chasers launched their first relief efforts in northern Michigan after a historic ice storm.
Now they're doing it again, rushing to bring disaster relief to the deep south.
"People in the south, you know, this might be a once-in-10 or 20-year event for them," saidChandler Bos, vice president of the Michigan Storm Chasers.
Last winter, northern Michigan experienced a historic ice storm, and the Michigan Storm Chasers responded.
"We actually brought pallets of groceries up to 12 different villages in northern Michigan," said Bos.
"The logistics of that were really fun to figure out. But, you know, it was a it was a good time. We got to meet a lot of new people and hear a lot of stories."
Now they're doing it again, preparing to deploy to the deep south, where people are still without power, and towns remain crippled after a devastating winter storm whose death toll has now reached 85.
More than a thousand packages and thousands in donations, all from their massive digital following.
"For people to take $20 or $40 out of their paycheck, which is hard-earned, right, in today's economy, hard-earned. And to give back to people who they don't know and who have never met and will most likely never meet. You know, it's a testament to who Michigan is," said Bos.
While Michigan storms and information remain their primary focus, disaster response and relief have never been far from their minds.
"That was always one of the missions from day one, was to be able one day to help people out like this," he says.
"So that way when tragedy strikes or when there is a, you know, once in a generation ice storm that we can be ready to to mobilize and make something happen. We're one nation, right? You know, we're all here to help everybody out. And, it doesn't matter who you are, where you are," says Bos.
"If we can come together as a community, as Michigan Storm Chasers, to provide services to those in need, that's the vision. And, we're really working diligently to make sure that that's going to happen in 2026."
Additional funding is welcome for getting their crew and trucks down there. You can access that donation page on Michigan Storm Chasers' website.