Hail No! Del Yeah! Tell us your storm stories...

[DelFest]

Were you blown away by DelFest? Tell us your stories and how you survived the Del-uge of 2009

[Jimmy (Not Cumberland) :)]

Like many of you my story started while watching Sam. The rain felt great and everyone was happy and laughing heading out of the show. After all Sam was coming back on in 10 mins. :) We got to our friends tarp city which was down the rv area on your right. No sooner did we get there and then the wind started. We all held on to the canopies. Our buddy ran around and just cut the tarps since they were acting like sails. One flew strait up into the air and then off to Pennsylvania somewhere. We are now all holding down 2 canopies and getting beaten to death by hail which at this point REALLY hurt. My feet were numb from standing in the piles of ice the hail was making. The canopy pole bends around my hand during a gust and next thing you know it snaps in several places. Wind finally dies down and rain slowed so we started slowly strolling back to our campsite. Everyone cheering the storm, Fireworks and car horns going off. I think whoever is in charge upstairs took that as an insult because a minute later the real storm arrived. One of our buddies is at our site trying to hold down 2 tents and a canopy. I jumped in the tent to hold it down while they held the canopy. Right then a large piece of metal/aluminum sails by and crashes into a car. My buddies let the canopy go, which was already devastated and climb in the tent. The hail turns about quarter size and proceeds to help tear a hole in the tent. We were already in about 2 inches of water. Tent collapses on us and we just say screw it and jump in the car. Thankfully our friend who was at the campsite forgot to roll up his windows. He had been taking pictures with his nice camera and forgot to check his car. So, we lost two tents, a canopy and many other assorted things. How do i feel about the weekend? I would do it all again in a second. Had a great time!! Shows were even better after the storm. Old Crow tore the roof off the music hall and so did everyone else. Glad to hear you are all ok. I plan on meeting every single one of you next year. Till then, can I get a DEL YEAH!!!

[Jimmy (Not Cumberland) :)]

And like Dawn said above. All the workers did an amazing job getting everything up and going again. I didnt think there would be any music after that. And the sense of community was overwhelming. Everyone helping everyone. I dont think I have ever seen that much kindness in one spot. Thanks to everyone for leaving such an amazing impression on me and my friends. My camera owning buddy had never been to any kind of music festival in his life. He is now planning on coming to every Delfest. You all made quit the impression.

[Jimmy (Not Cumberland) :)]

One more thing. Not sure if someone mentioned it but I read on a report that the Martin Acoustic tent lost pretty much everything. All those beautiful acoutics gone! Thats a lot of money and time.

[James W]

I heard the same thing about the Martins. I was watching from the Grandstand as the storm blew through and thought that they were ok, but I guess eventually the water got through and warped them beyond repair.

[Emily Knode]

Yes their guitars had severe water and hail damage to all of their guitars, for there was nothing protecting them as the tent provided no protection. My father knew the Martin representative personally and I have heard that the guitars were taken back to the factory where they will either be replaced or repaired.

[Jan Bussler]

hi Emily..thi is Jan, Del Hanzsche's girlfriend. We were really upset by the losses you sustained, tried to come see you and your dad on Sunday but heading up the field a bolt of lightening struck and we were OUT of their....couldn't go through another storm. We finally made it to your dad's shop in Catonsville yesterday and checked in, talked with Tim, made sure everything and everybody were okay, etc. Still we want to know, is there anything we can do to help??? I hate to be the one SOURGRAPES type in this whole discussion, we too had our trials with the storm, forced ourselves to laugh through being pelted be hail in 60 mph winds,trying to hold up the tent, we were touched by people's kindness and we went out of our way to offer our tent to others as well as medical assistance (I am a nurse).....but rumors had it that some festival organizers were watching the storm system on doppler radar, that there had been 3 small tornadoes on the other side of the mountain....we felt we ALL would have been better served if there had been a little more warning of a possible severe system. ALSO, I feel very strongly about this,,,,,even before the storm I was upset there was no medic tent. It was hot beforehand, dehydration a very real possibility, and afterwards alot of people where I was had symptoms of hypothermia,,,standing in 4 inches of freezing water, in soaking wet clothes, etc. Next year I volunteer to organize a medic tent.....also, any suggestions for festival organizers about monitoring weather systems on doppler radar and communicating possible severe systems to vendors and the people associated with electrical equipment beforehand?? I think this area also could be improved. See you and take care,,,Peace, Jan and Del

[Meribeth Persson]

Actually there was a medic tent, albeit a small one over at the end of the food vender/shower area but it would have been good to have another down around the grandstand area as well. I had been at Grey Fox several years ago when there was a rainstorm that POURED rain all day(must have been 7-8 inches of rain easily) but this storm tops that one. I saw small whirlwinds/vortexes appearing and disappearing on the roof area of the multi-purpose buidling. I lost my canopy and my tent was trashed but the things that I needed were ok and I'm thankful that there wasn't more damage by flying debris and that so few people were injured.

[Emily Knode]

Thank you for your concern. Thankfully our insurance plan covered this and the damages were defiantly not as bad as once predicted. By no means will we miss next year though! My father and I are already planning for next year and reviewing what needs to be done in preparation, and the changes we will make. We both genuinely hope that Del Fest will continue to grow and prosper, and plan on taking part of it for as long as it lasts. As I have said previously, we enjoyed ourselves throughly and Loved the air that this festival has.
All the vendors I have talked to say that Del Fest is something special, and is top quality, a real treat to be a part of.
I hope the bad weather has not affected many other citizens or deterred anyone form not attending. We will do our part to promote Del Fest, and plan on informing everyone in town!
I do agree that a earlier notice would have been greatly helpful. Our vendor next to us explained that the Doppler Radar couldn't even detect it until it was right over head! We can blame nobody that the storm was undetected and caught everyone off guard. I am thankful that nobody was critically injured in this. I am very VERY thankful to all of those kind souls that helped us un-bury ourselves from the mud and debris. All in all a wonderful event, I do hope that this festival will continue to be a success! With best wishes, take care everyone -Emily

[Steve]

Most of my group were at camp, about to head back over to the main stage, when the rain started. When it really started to get windy I jumped in my tent basically just to hold it down, and thats where I stayed for the first round. The slightly lower area where I had set up the tent turned into a river, a river which then started flowing through my tent. Even my stuff up high on my cot got soaked as the rain was coming in sideways, blowing up and in underneath my rain fly. When it started to slow down I joined my friends under my canopy. Figured the several inches of water in my tent meant it wasn't going anywhere. Second round of hail and wind hit, and it was all we could do to hold down the canopy. We held it down, but we couldn't keep it together. The frame started to bend and bolts started to pop out as it twisted and collapsed around us. It lasted through the storm though, barely. Put on the only dry clothes I had which were a pair of pajama pants and my favorite awesome long sleeve tie-dye, and that is what I danced in for the rest of the night. Had to spend the night in the car, as it was the only dry place. Woke up early sunday morning, bailed out several gallons of water from the tent, laid out all my stuff to dry, and by 10AM my tent and clothes and sleeping bag were all clean and dry and ready to go. I was even able to bend my canopy back into useable shape and it gave us shade for the day. See you next year!

[Jimmy (Not Cumberland) :)]

http://timcarbone.diaryland.com/index.html

[Luke Michaels]

I've read quote a few good stories on here, and heard quite a few right after the storm and into that evening. What a crazy day. The weather was perfect before the storm even started, and me and some friends were down swimming in the river mid-day. After getting a few beers and heading up to see Sam Bush, we find ourselves feeling these fat drops coming down. Not even bothering to look up at what was coming, I ran to the "Dancing Skirt"?? vendor (lots of thin dresses) and within a minute or so my friends joined me. Boy, I was quite lax, talking with everyone like it was nothing, but as it proceeded to build in intesnsity over the next 15 min., we were helping the vendor get their electronics put away, and to bring all the dresses in. The hail then started and we all screamed at each to communicate. So many images pop out: Rain pouring in through the top of the tarp itself (the waterproof part), five guys huddling under our neighbor vendors tent holding a blue tarp down with little success, A three foot pile of the hail falling from one point off a tarp (It was enough ice to stock our four coolers for the next two days), Thin dresses flying everywhere. Then it became a big blur. I remember the wind started shifting directions rapidly. I was holding onto one side of the tarp, and even being fairly strong myself, not being able to hold on well. My feet were numb and I couldn't see a damn thing because hail was flying into my face. Then I heard a loud bang??? and the wind shifted directions. I look up and my friends scream that they are running for it, and I look at them like they are crazy and stay put. They take off during the first lull (smart), and I wait to book it across the field. After that tiny break in the storm, I decide I should now book it across the field (The second part had already started and the winds were now like 50-60 and the quarter size hail). Yes, I know, great timing to run during the thick of it. I Usain Bolt my ass across the field, and as I'm looking to see where to head to, the WFMW tent flew away/broke with people scattering. I look to the Martin tent, and I see one of my friends helping to hold it down. (No clue where the others are) I run in and the tent is starting to go fast, so we all try to lower it while screaming at each other during the height of the storm. It becomes a lost cause in less than a minute becuase the wind started to peak at what I thought was about 70 mph. No one could see and the roof was ripping apart. The guys trying to hold it down could barely do so, and the wind and hail was pounding all of us right in the face. The guitars and mandolins start to fly so I started grabbing them out of the air as they take off. A few fell in the water and the rest were going quick. The Martins guys screamed where to put them, in the trailer, as they hold on to the pavilion. I run back and forth like a mad man trying to carefully get these in the trailer, and meanwhile am screaming at the guys. Another guy helped me with the last few, and although soaking wet with a few dents, they were in decent shape. None broke, thank god. I then ran to the trailer trying to scream to the others to join, but they couldn't hear over the storm. I was absolutely drenched and freezing to death. I stood in the dry trailer for another 20 minutes just trying to feel any body parts to see what I had left. The Martins tent eventually went and I heard the guys run for the car. My cell even survived my soaking wet clothes, thank god. We lost a canopy, my friends tent was flipped with a baby pool of water in it, and mine was soaked but standing. All of my clothes were dripping wet, and the inside of the tent had a foot of water in it. Teepee Jerry. our next door neighbor with the teepee, had that collapse and a few of the poles snapped but it looked ressurectable. It did smash a car on the way down though. I was overwhlemed by the people at this festival and how great they were. Not a bad apple there. Everyone worked so hard to help each other out, astounding. I hope I can make it back next year becuase that was an amazing festival. BTW...we stayed for the entire festy and saw some of the greatest music. A big thanks to the artists who really brought the heat after the cold. I'm still muddy from Leftover and DSO.

[Jimmy (Not Cumberland) :)]

Luke, we were a row over from you guys. I know because the tp was our marker. We saw it set back up. I had heard the Martins were pretty messed up. Hope you are right and it wasnt so bad. I cant stop telling folks here about what happened. I've only seen one video that kind of did it some justice. but unless you were there going through it, you really have no idea.