Free Press Summer Fest re-opens after lightning evacuation
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Free Press Summer Fest in Eleanor Tinsley Park was shut down for two hours on Saturday evening as severe weather moved through the area.
Just after 6 p.m., festival attendees were asked to 'calmly make their way to the nearest exit' as lightning began to strike the area.
PHOTOS: A rainy day at FPSF 2017
"All these guys were rushing us out and telling us we have to leave," said attendee Sophie Bauers. "They made a big announcement. One of the DJs was performing and they were like, 'Please evacuate. Lightning and thunder, severe weather.'"
A picture posted on Instagram shows concertgoers taking shelter from the lightning and rain under a nearby truck. Wherever there was cover, there were people.
"I was waiting with her under the freeway. It was so confusing," added Isaiah Leal.
But by 8 p.m., the Houston Police Department tweeted that the festival would re-open for the evening, and drenched fans stomped through a muddy mess to return to the stages.
The festival was also briefly evacuated in 2016 after the National Weather Service issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning.
