Historic Elgin church loses roof in overnight severe storm
Historic Elgin church loses roof in overnight severe storm: 'I've never seen anything like this'
Cleanup crews and church members arrived overnight Friday to find First United Methodist Church of Elgin surrounded by debris, including wood, glass, stone, and fallen trees.
ELGIN, Ill. - Cleanup crews and church members arrived overnight Friday to find First United Methodist Church of Elgin surrounded by debris, including wood, glass, stone, and fallen trees.
By daylight, the damage was even more shocking—parishioners realized a microburst had struck the century-old church, ripping a massive hole in its roof.
What we know:
"You know, you’re really kind of speechless when you walk up on something like this," the pastor of the church said.
Fierce overnight winds caused significant damage to the historic building. Aerial footage showed the extent of the destruction.
The church, which has about 100 members, also serves as an overnight winter shelter for nearly 80 unhoused individuals.
"It was actually some of our guys from the homeless shelter. They noticed water rushing in," said member Jennifer Haley.
Traffic was diverted along Center Street at Highland Avenue throughout the day on Saturday as roofing crews worked to secure the property.
The church, located in Elgin’s historic district, is now considered an active disaster zone.
Half of its copper-clad roof was torn off, ceilings and walls collapsed, and there was significant water damage inside. The congregation, which is more than 180 years old, remains hopeful about rebuilding.
What's next:
Fire officials said there was no widespread damage in Elgin, though they received about 30 reports of downed power lines and tree limbs. No injuries were reported.
A virtual church service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, followed by an outdoor prayer service at noon.