ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Lehigh Valley is still assessing the damage from last night.<\/p>\n
Doorbell footage captured the moment wind gusts tore the roof off Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Allentown.<\/p>\n
“We get notified so we were lying in bed and said, \u2018What is this?\u2019 then I called someone who is really close and they said, \u2018You need to come down you’re not going to believe this\u2019,” said Church Administrator Janet Avery.<\/p>\n
“It was just dripping everywhere. We put buckets wherever we could find,” said Avery.<\/p>\n
Church staff worked quickly to catch as much water as possible.<\/p>\n
“They put up some tarps and moved some things and then they did a walk-thru after that and found some leaking in the preschool room. When we came in this morning to get a better look at it, the preschool, it had actually gotten much worse,” said Pastor Stephen Whitehead.<\/p>\n
On the outside shingles and debris litter the property, but on the inside water damage is the main concern.<\/p>\n
“I think this is the big fear all churches have really, but it’s the first time I’ve actually seen it,” said Whitehead.<\/p>\n
Now, hours later, water still drips in the education center and fans are being used to dry out the sanctuary. A restoration company is assessing the damage as the church plans a path forward.<\/p>\n
“Carry on as normal as possible. It\u2019s unfortunate it\u2019s coming up to Easter week because that’s our busiest time of year,” said Whitehead.<\/p>\n
The church is home to multiple congregations and groups, including Emmanuel United Methodist Church, Casa Del Rey, Rich Family and Youth Worship Center, and Iglesia Cristiana.<\/p>\n