Cathedral High School and St. Michael's Academy were heavily damaged.
Schools in Springfield, Wilbraham, Hampden and Westfield will be closed on Thursday after the tornado damaged a number of buildings in the communities.
Cathedral High School and St. Michael’s Academy in Springfield is also closed on Thursday.
In Springfield, Azell M. Cavaan, spokesman for Superintendent Alan J. Ingram said the buildings will be closed while damages are examined.
“There are some damages but we are still assessing. I don’t know to what degree they are damaged,” Cavaan said.
In Westfield, a section of roof at the Munger Hill Elementary School was blown off, and the school will be closed Thursday and Friday, according to Police Lt. Lawrence P. Valliere.
James C. Wiggs, emergency management director for Westfield, said all city schools will be closed until the city is able to evaluate circumstances on Thursday. Three houses in the city were also totally destroyed.
Cathedral High School and St. Michael’s Academy on Surrey Road were heavily damaged. One priest at St. Michael’s broke his leg and suffered a separated shoulder.
“The schools were badly damaged,” Dupont said. “We will assess them tomorrow to see what has to be done.”
Windows were blown out at Cathedral School. Students were inside at the time but no one was injured, he said.
The Cathedral graduation, scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at the school, is expected to be moved. Tentative plans are to hold it at St. Michael’s Cathedral on State Street because the church was not damaged in the storm, Dupont said.
An advisory will be put out as soon as a decision is made, he said.