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Saturday’s powerful microburst destroyed the famous Southeast Asian market in FDR Park, and market vendors are asking for donations to help them rebuild.
“You saw the devastation caused by Saturday’s microburst. Trees uprooted. Equipment destroyed. Flooded inventory. Cemeteries of tents. To say our vendors are heartbroken is an understatement,” market managers wrote in a Sunday Instagram post.
“They watched their businesses being destroyed in real time while covering for their own safety,” the report said.
Photos and video released by the market and its vendors association showed several downed trees and piles of large fallen branches in a South Philadelphia park, as well as collapsed and damaged tent structures in the area where vendors set up shop every Saturday and Sunday from April through October.
Soha McNear and her family were selling water ice and fried chicken when suddenly they were hit by heavy rain and strong winds.
“I was afraid for my life because I saw tree branches fall,” McNear recalled. “My neighbors – they are elderly – they were trying to hold on to their things. I said: ‘Come to my tent, come here with the children. Don’t worry about your tent,” and they came.”
“It was scary. I was afraid,” she said.
A series of at least four microbursts, small but extremely strong wind gusts during a thunderstorm, resulted in 70 mph winds and major flooding in West and South Philadelphia and parts of Montgomery County starting at about 2:45 p.m. Saturday.
There were no reports of injuries, but the storm tore off roofs and damaged hundreds of trees and power lines. Thirty residents of a Philadelphia Housing Authority apartment building near 55th and Vine were forced from their homes after the building lost its roof and several cars were flooded in the city’s Winnfield neighborhood, according to media reports.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the city’s 911 system received nearly 3,000 calls during the storm, and PECO reported hundreds of power outages affecting nearly 27,000 customers.
Firefighters responded to more than 125 reports of downed utility lines and nearly 300 tree emergencies, the city reported Sunday evening. The Streets Department responded to several fallen light poles and more than 40 reports of traffic lights not working or flashing.
A Southwest Philadelphia man saw his car hit hard by a falling tree during Saturday’s microburst. (6АВС)
The damage at FDR Park forced the Southeast Asian market to postpone a Dolla Holla event scheduled for Sunday, when many vendors planned to sell specialty items for a dollar apiece. The market hopes vendors will be able to hold the event next weekend instead.
“But the reality is that some may not be ready for that time, and some are facing losses beyond what can be fixed in a week,” the group wrote on Instagram.
The market has posted a donation link on its website, FDRSeaMarket.com, to support vendors struggling to recover.
The organization thanked park staff who helped with the hurricane cleanup and wrote, “The outpouring of love in your messages and comments has meant a lot to our community. Thank you for seeing us.”
Commentators described a chaotic situation in the park as the storm hit on Saturday afternoon.
“The warning lasted less than two minutes and suddenly the storm began,” wrote the Roosevelt Park Suppliers Association. “We are grateful that no one was seriously injured, although some of our seniors are recovering. We… are confident that we will be able to recover from this in due course. Our primary focus is helping our providers, especially our seniors.”
Another commenter said it was “crazy” to see vendors and seniors “just sitting there” as the storm rolled in without anyone urging them to pack up.
Fallen trees damaged homes and vehicles in West Philadelphia during Saturday’s microburst. (6АВС)
“Some people were still walking towards the market, and the sky had just opened up, there was a strong wind. Tents were blown away, some people had not finished cooking. It was just strange,” wrote commentator Finmusicuniversal.
Chanthea “Bee” Nhep of Cambodian barbecue joint Bee’z Kitchen called Saturday a “heartbreaking day” for vendors and shoppers at the market.
“The storm came so quickly that many of us did not have time to prepare. Tents, tables, trees, food and personal items were damaged, and many sellers lost hundreds of dollars in warehouses,” she wrote on Facebook. “I’ve been in this market for over 17 years, and this is the first time I’ve witnessed a hurricane that caused so much damage.”