by HOLLAND, Mich. — In just seconds, a powerful storm tore through Holland, Michigan, leaving one family’s home in ruins.
For the past 10 years, the Mutschler family had lived peacefully in their Holland home—until the night of May 15 changed everything.
“We’d never seen anything like it,” said Mieke Mutschler. “The alerts kept coming in, and I just had this feeling—we needed to get the kids to the basement.”
Mieke and her husband Aaron rushed their three kids downstairs as storm warnings intensified. Their children were fast asleep, but they knew they couldn’t wait.
Moments later, disaster struck.
“I went back upstairs to grab their noise machine,” Aaron recalled. “And that’s when the trees came crashing down onto the house.”
Massive trees—some over 200 years old—were ripped from the ground by 90 mph straight-line winds and came crashing through their home.
“The noise was deafening,” Mieke said. “Glass shattering, wood splintering—it sounded like the whole house was falling apart. I knew Aaron was upstairs, and I was terrified he’d been crushed.”
Thankfully, Aaron made it back to the basement unharmed, but the damage was extensive. The beds where their children had been sleeping just moments earlier were now buried under fallen trees. The roof was torn open, and rain started pouring inside.
“The power was out, and we had no idea how many trees had hit the house,” Mieke said. “But when rain started coming in from upstairs, we knew it was bad.”
From the basement, Aaron watched as another giant tree smashed through the second story. They knew they’d be stuck down there for a while.
“Our son cried, ‘Are we going to die?’” Aaron said. “We just kept reassuring them—‘We’re safe, we’re safe’—and prayed together.”
But when they smelled gas, it was clear they had to get out.
Every exit was blocked by debris. Aaron eventually forced open a service door near the garage, and they made a run for it.
“We told the kids it was time to be brave,” he said. “We climbed over tree limbs in the dark—it was pitch black except for flashes of lightning. It was terrifying. But we’re so proud of the kids.”
Despite being scared themselves, Aaron and Mieke stayed strong for their children.
“As parents, you have to be their comfort and calm,” Aaron said. “We did our best to stay strong and focused on getting everyone to safety.”
Their kids were still in pajamas and barefoot, so they grabbed coats and ran through the storm.
“I’ve never felt my life so at risk,” Mieke said. “And I was even more scared for our children. It was absolutely terrifying.”
The family’s front yard was buried under trees and debris. It was days before their house was even visible again.
“We ran to our neighbor’s house for shelter,” Mieke said. “But the gas smell was so bad we had to keep moving down the street. Everyone was outside. Emergency crews and even friends couldn’t reach us because so many trees were down.”
The gas leak came from a broken main at the end of their driveway. Utility crews couldn’t get to it until 2 a.m.
Five days later, their home was still covered in tarps and boards to protect it from the weather.
The Mutschlers had built a home full of memories—hosting neighborhood parties, welcoming friends, and letting kids play in the yard. Now, it was mostly gone.
“It’s surreal,” Mieke said. “We’ll rebuild, and most things can be replaced. But the trees—we really mourn the loss of those trees. They were part of what made our home special.”
Still, they’re trying to stay positive.
“Some neighbors said, ‘You’ll have sunshine and see sunsets for the first time,’” Mieke smiled. “There are blessings in this too.”
The support from their community has been overwhelming.
“People have been amazing—neighbors, friends, church family,” she said. “We believe God protected us, and now we’re seeing the strength of the community we’ve built—hot meals, places to stay, toys, playdates. We’ve never felt more supported.”
Mieke now urges everyone to take storm warnings seriously.
“If we hadn’t, things could’ve ended very differently,” she said.
The family will be living in a rental for at least a year while they rebuild.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with recovery costs.
