Minooka church loses roof in Friday night storm

The Apostolic International Church at 205 W. Church St., Minooka felt every bit of the 81 mph wind gusts and accompanying tornados that blew through Minooka on Friday night, losing a portion of its roof.

Pastor Nicholas Ankamah said there were four adults and 18 teenagers in the building for a youth night when it hit.

“It was really scary,” Ankamah said. “When it hit, the lights went out and it was so wicked. There was a loud noise and the kids were screaming, and we had to get them under control to walk into the basement.”

Everyone did make it safely into the basement and there were no injuries.

Two tornados were confirmed to have started in Minooka, causing damage there and in sections of Joliet, Shorewood and Channahon according to a Sunday news story from the Herald-News in Joliet.

The first of the two EF1 tornados caused winds of nearly 95 mph, strong enough to cause structural damage in homes and snap trees, according to a Sunday National Weather Service report. The second traveled from Minooka, crossing the DuPage River in Shorewood at River Crossing Park while snapping large trees and damaging homes.

“Thanks to God, everybody was safe,” Ankamah said. “Nobody was injured. Nobody in the building had experienced anything like this, so it’s difficult to process. The storm passed very quickly and the rain subsided, so we’re thankful for that.”

Ankamah said that he’s already been in contact with the insurance company and contractors, and the church will temporarily use its smaller annex next door temporarily.

“Minooka has been very nice, coming out ot express their sympathies and support and encouragement,” Ankamah said. “That’s something we really cherish.”