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After a violent storm swept through Kankakee County last week, Bishop McNamara’s Kankakee campus was left battered but not broken — flooded hallways, shattered skylights and disabled buses forced classes and activities to pause, and pushed students, staff and neighbors into immediate recovery work. The disruption matters now because for many families the damage goes far beyond school repairs: some households lost homes or vehicles and will need sustained support.
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School president Kaelyn Bess was the first administrator to enter the building after the storm and described a chaotic scene: power outages, standing water and broken glass filling corridors. While the campus avoided the path of an EF-3 tornado that hit areas a few miles south, the site still suffered from intense hail and strong winds.
The storm damaged multiple classrooms and skylights, and caused extensive flooding in a gym that had recently been renovated. Several school buses were also rendered unusable, complicating travel for students and sidetracking plans for spring sports and events.
Students and staff mobilize
With classes canceled for the remainder of the week, dozens of students, parents and staff arrived at the school Thursday morning to begin clean-up. Senior athletes who had been preparing for spring seasons instead spent the day clearing debris, moving furniture and helping teachers salvage classroom materials.
“Everyone came without hesitation,” said senior Cale Hamilton, who helped organize peers during the effort. “We thought it would be a normal week of practice and tests, and suddenly we were pitching in to make sure the school could reopen.”
Another senior, Coen Demack, said the experience underlined how quickly routines can be upended. “You see it on the news, but being around classmates who lost so much puts the scale of this into perspective,” he said.
Community response and continuing needs
Local families and businesses have been providing tools, meals and manpower. Bess praised the visible solidarity but cautioned that replacing broken windows or drying out gym floors is only part of the recovery.
“Restoring the building is step one,” she said. “Many households face longer-term recovery — finding temporary housing, repairing vehicles, replacing essential belongings.”
| Area | Damage | Immediate status |
|---|---|---|
| Classrooms | Broken windows, water intrusion | Staff and crews clearing debris; some rooms closed |
| Gymnasium | Flooding after skylights and windows were compromised | Assessment and water removal underway; repairs planned |
| Transportation | Several buses damaged | Bus service suspended; travel for events impacted |
| Student & family housing | Homes and cars destroyed or severely damaged for some | Families displaced; relief efforts ongoing |
The school confirmed plans to resume in-person classes on Tuesday, after an initial period of remote learning and checks of building safety. Officials said professional restoration teams will complete structural and environmental work before teachers reclaim classrooms.
- Volunteers are assisting with debris removal and cleanup at the campus.
- McNamara is collecting donated school uniforms for students who lost clothing supplies.
- Organizers are gathering grocery and gas gift cards to support displaced families.
- A community t-shirt fundraiser is being coordinated, with proceeds earmarked for families affected by the storm.
School leaders urged the public to monitor the school’s official communications for details on donation drop-offs and volunteer shifts. They emphasized that while rebuilding the physical campus will take weeks, the emotional and financial recovery for some families could last much longer.
“Buildings can be fixed,” Bess said. “It’s the people — students, families and staff — we need to support now.”
