CLEVELAND — Friday, it was confirmed that an EF-1 tornado struck Cleveland’s east side at 11:59 Thursday night. The tornado was on the ground for three minutes.
Pastor Kellie Sullivan of New Life at Calvary Church said she got a call from police around 12:47 a.m. that the church had been damaged.
“They thought we had been hit by lighting, and she explained to me that water was just pouring into our building,” Sullivan said.
The tornado ripped the roof off the 143-year-old church at the corner of East 79th Street and Euclid Avenue. The damage occurred in an area that houses offices, youth worship and activity space.
Insurance adjusters were at the church Friday afternoon.
"It is sad,” said longtime church member Reginald Woods. “Actually, we just gone through some repairs for our church and now this is happening."
The Romanesque stone church is a Cleveland Historic Landmark. Pastor Sullivan said they’re currently working on getting the church on the national registry. She said the church has always been about serving the community.
“We believe in serving, helping people (and) being there at people’s greatest hour of need,” Sullivan said. “We make sure people have food. We make sure people have clothing (and) resources."
The church was one of the first in the area to have integrated church services. Sullivan said it’s worked through many challenging times and the storm damage won’t derail them for long.
“God is in control. He's in charge,” Woods said.
Sullivan said, “We're going to keep serving God. We're going to keep our faith."
Teams were also in clean-up mode at the Dunham Tavern Museum- another Cleveland Historic Landmark.
“We are the oldest building still on its same ground in the city of Cleveland,” said Dr. Brenda Ellner, a past president of the Dunham Tavern Museum.
Several large trees fell on the property, taking out a porch and damaging the roof line and façade.
“We feel terrible. This is such a special, special place,” Dr. Ellner said. “People have described it as the absolute jewel of the middle area of Cleveland.”
It was one of the stops people made while traveling west on horse-drawn buggies in the pioneer days.
“The stagecoach would stop here at the tavern, and the driver would go upstairs to sleep,” Ellner said. “The people would have dinner, and another driver would come downstairs and continue on to the Buffalo Road.”
Ellner said a benefit planned at the museum this weekend is still happening.
Pastor Sullivan said Sunday's service at New Life at Calvary Church will be held in the parking lot. She said a tree is leaning on the sanctuary and needs to be removed before normal services can resume.
“We believe God has great things for New Life at Calvary and we're not giving up on that dream yet,” Dr. Sullivan said.
RELATED: Strong storms rip roof off of Euclid Avenue church, damages historic Dunham Tavern Museum
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