Today’s Storm

[Rick Rowlands]

Out here in "dirty" Coalburg the storm was a dud. 

[Towntalk]

Did anyone experience today's storm? I live on the North Side near YSU and  didn't really notice it like they did downtown and on the East Side.


SOURCE: WKBN_TV News
Wing Fest organizers in downtown Youngstown knew Friday night would be hot, but when strong winds and rain moved through the area, the fun turned into a rescue operation and canceled the event.

Calm skies turned into a few sprinkles and then a burst of wind and heavy rains. Just after 5 p.m., tents started collapsing and people started running.

"Next thing we know I said, 'no it's not going to hold, it's not going to hold, this tent is not going to hold,' so we ran to the side of the tent and we said what are we going to do," said JoAnne Smallwood, who was inside one of the collapsed tent areas when wind and rain swept through the Covelli Centre grounds.

She said she remembers clinching onto a friend and having several other people clinch onto them.

"We just started running and it was so scary," Smallwood said.

Tents, chairs, boxes, even music equipment started scattering. Several people were trapped under giant tents and a Covelli Center worker was knocked the ground by a falling tent pole. Ambulances and fire trucks rushed to the scene and at least five people were sent to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

Cametrius Shelton said it was chaotic with people under the tents.

"Very, very [chaotic] and people trying to run. They were screaming 'run to the building, run to the building.' So we all ran towards the Covelli Centre to get inside for safety," Shelton said.

During the chaos, Covelli Centre staff kicked into rescue mode along with on-site Youngstown police officers. Emergency crews wasted no time, first helping people in need.

They then worked to cut electricity and propane tanks used by the food vendors.

"The tents they definelty wanted to take off, take us for a ride, but we were hanging on," said Eddy Erhardt of Eddy's Smoken Pit BBQ.

Less than a mile from Wing Fest, at the Mount Carmel Italian Festival, the fun was untouched by the weather that shifted hot weather concerns into storm damage and rescues for a lot of people across the Valley.

Anyone who purchased tickets in advance for The Clarks show on Friday can return them to the point of sale for a full refund. The show will open Saturday at noon with a car show and the main stage area will open at 5 p.m. Michael Stanley is scheduled to perform.