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Business was booming Sunday at the Southeast Asian Market in Philadelphia’s FDR Park, one week after a powerful summer storm destroyed tents and inventory at the outdoor market.
The storm brought winds up to 70 miles per hour and moved through the market quickly, leaving little time for vendors to react. The National Weather Service confirmed at least four microbursts — a powerful downdraft of sinking air within a thunderstorm — in parts of West and South Philadelphia, as well as Montgomery County.
In the aftermath, vendors had a week to gather supplies damaged by the storm.
“It was a bit of a struggle; it was intense and fast,” said Tanya Ing, who works at Recipes by Yeay, a Cambodian vendor.
Recipes by Yeay paid over $400 in out-of-pocket expenses for new tents and tables for their stand at the marketplace.
Since the storm, a fundraiser has raised approximately $20,000 to purchase 120 new tents for those destroyed during the inclement weather.