FOX 21 News, KQDS-DT

GRAND RAPIDS - Yard work was taken to a whole new level on Tuesday.

"Trees everywhere in this area just kept flying and flying," April Hawkinson from Grand Rapids said.

Fierce winds that topped out at 80 miles an hour took down century–old trees and anything in their path.

"We basically chain-sawed and macheted our way in the front door," Robert Ward from Grand Rapids said.

The severe store caught most people by surprise just minutes after dinner.

"We didn't really realize how bad the winds were until we felt the tree on the roof," Erma Stamson said.

"All of a sudden, the wind picked up," Hawkinson said. "This tree literally wrapped around in a circle I seen out my window, then flew across the road."

Looking at tree upon tree that was ripped down by the Monday evening storm, it was surprising to some just how quickly it all happened.

"It was like 15 minutes of just pure crazy wind," Hawkinson said.

Crews worked around the clock to restore power to thousands without it.

However, for some, having power was on the smaller list of concerns.

"I got home and she was at the house and just said 'the house is gone,'" Ward said.

"It could have been worse," Stamson said.

Most residents were in surprisingly good spirits, especially considering it was the second bout of weather to rip through the city in just two weeks.

"It's just one spot as far as we know between the living room and dining room," Stamson said.

"It appears a big share of it is gone," Ward said. "But we'll get it rebuilt."

Attitudes were not even taking a dent; even when everything else has.

Weather experts said massive trees could have fallen down so easily because the ground was still saturated from the recent flood, making it less dense and easier for roots to pop out when strong winds came through.