What do a farmer, a guy with a gas can and a former Tesla employee have in common?

No, this isn’t a bad joke. These are real-life stories of Michiganders looking out for their neighbors in the aftermath of Mother Nature’s increasingly common misbehavior.

In the aftermath of the storm, over 200,000 customers were left without power as high winds snapped poles in half, uprooted trees and treated power lines like string. All while tornado sirens blared late Thursday night into Friday morning. The storm left thousands scrambling to help family members, and their most vulnerable neighbors, including the elderly. They were supported by more than 500 service crews working around the clock until every customer is restored.

Scott Reamer was filling a gas can for his generator as he was hurrying to his vehicle to head to his Orangeville home which was without power. “Several of my neighbors are elderly, so I need to get home and check on them now,” Reamer said. “If we’re still without power, I may just have them stay with me. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do and be there for each other in times like this. I hope somebody would do the same for me.”

While Reamer was helping his community, Stephen Standish did the same in Wayland, about 20 miles from Grand Rapids, which was also hit hard.

“You have to be there for each other during times of need,” said Standish, who cleared debris from their dirt road with his wife so neighbors could get to their homes and crews could restore their power.

Standish, a retired Tesla employee, who has lived at his Wayland home for 35 years, said he appreciated the crews fixing downed power lines and replacing the cross arm on a pole in front of his 78-acre property. To his relief, power was restored very quickly.

“It means the world to me for them to come out and help us,” Standish said. “We usually always have reliable power here, but sometimes unforeseen things happen. I wish this crew and others out there to be safe so they can continue to restore power to people counting on them. They’ll get the job done – they did for me.”

Another common sight in rural Michigan was a farmer driving his tractor down a dirt road in Olivet. He wanted to clear debris so that crews, neighbors and first responders could travel the rural roads, many with numerous downed trees. “I just want to do my part and help out,” he said with a smile and a nod.

Another storm. Another day of Michiganders doing what they do best: banding together to look out for each other.