A severe storm tore the roof off Prairie Central Junior High School's gymnasium in Forrest, forcing the school to suspend athletic practices and related activities.
The damaging weather hit the Livingston County school on December 28, 2025, as severe thunderstorms swept through Central Illinois with strong winds. The violent winds ripped the gymnasium roof completely off the building, leaving structural damage that made the facility unusable.
School officials responded immediately to the damage by suspending all practices and activities that would normally take place in the gymnasium. This decision was made to ensure student and staff safety while assessments could be conducted on the extent of the damage and what repairs would be needed, according to NBC Chicago.
Sudden Storm
The storm affected multiple areas across Livingston County. Beyond the school damage, the severe weather brought down numerous trees and power lines throughout the region. In the nearby city of Howell, a historic window at the Howell Opera House, a building constructed in 1881, was blown out during the storm.
Other communities in the area reported their own damage. In Brighton, a home caught fire following the storm, and the Brighton Fire Department investigated whether the fire was directly connected to the severe weather conditions.
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The storms that struck the region were part of a broader weather system that produced tornado warnings across several counties in Illinois and Indiana on Sunday afternoon. The National Weather Service confirmed tornado activity in the region, though officials continued investigating whether what hit specific areas was a tornado or straight-line wind damage, 25NewsNow reported.
Preliminary damage assessments in the area revealed debris scattered across yards and roads. A Howell resident reported large branches scattered across his front lawn from trees that came down during the storm.
Damage to School Buildings
The Livingston Art Council began accepting donations to repair the damaged historic window at the Howell Opera House, which had withstood weather for over 100 years before the storm.
Prairie Central Junior High School officials have not yet announced when activities will resume or provided a timeline for repairs to the gymnasium. The school community continues assessing the full extent of damage to the facility.
The National Weather Service and local emergency officials were conducting additional damage assessments to document all impacts from the severe weather across Livingston County.
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