VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The threat of severe weather, including tornadoes, was not stopping Friday what was expected to be a busy weekend at the oceanfront in Virginia Beach.
Neptune Festival's Boardwalk Weekend kicked off Friday and rain and a tornado threat were in the forecast.
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“You’re always committed because it’s a rain or shine event," said vendor Rick Villanueva.
The weather may be gloomy, but vendors on the boardwalk were not.
“I’ve stayed set up during an actual tropical storm before. I’ll just put the walls up on my tent," vendor Kay Shanni said.
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Friday's weather also didn’t seem to be impacting the mood of festival goers like Susan Poates. She was visiting from Richmond and has been coming to the festival for years.
“I come anyway because I have a place to stay here, but I’ve been in all kinds of weather over the last almost 50 years. I’d rather have it like this than hot," Poates said.
She does keep an eye on the weather, though.
“I’ve been checking it at home before I even came," Poates said.
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The same goes for vendors.
“Sometimes, I’ll just keep an eye on the doppler anyway just to make sure there’s nothing really inclement coming in," Shanni said. "I have to bring my walls and I have to bring extra weights, stake everything down, and then I also avoid putting out things that might blow away in the wind.”
“You just have to keep looking at it because it’s an outdoor event," said Villanueva. "Our setup is a little unique because we use grids. We don’t really use weights because these grids are all about 10-15 pounds and I have 17 of them plus the weight of the clothes.”
A heavy job, but one that may prove worthwhile during a weekend of unsettled weather.
The threat of severe weather, especially tornadoes, is something that may put some Virginia Beach residents on edge because of the April 2023 tornado.
Watch: VB officials estimate EF-3 tornado caused $16M in damage to Great Neck homes
More than 100 homes were damaged. Thankfully, though, no one died.
Some homes have since been rebuilt, others have been repaired.
Al Chewning's home is one that has been repaired. He and his wife were inside when the tornado hit. As News 3 has reported, the Chewnings' say News 3 Chief Meteorologist Patrick Rockey's forecasting during the storm allowed them to seek shelter in their home and ultimately survive the storm.
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"We have a knapsack where we keep all our important papers and stuff, so we get that and put it near the door to the Patrick Rockey Safety Room, which is our bathroom," Al said.
If you are caught outside during a tornado, the National Weather Service recommends finding shelter in a ditch, a vehicle, or a sturdy structure, like one of the many hotels or restaurants along the oceanfront, and cover your head.
For the latest weather on the go, you can download the News 3 weather app here for Apple users or here for Android users.
