Powerful Storm Rips Through Festival in Albany

Intense Storm Unloads on Festival in Albany - Check Out the Damage in the Gallery Below

It was all hands on deck shortly after 5 pm when a fast-moving, intense thunderstorm rocked festival goers, vendors, and even performers at the free Food Festival on Wednesday afternoon at the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany.

Minutes after a dark cloud appeared to be looming over the Rockefeller building, there were a few rumbles of thunder and then the skies opened up, heavy rain began pouring and strong winds blew everything sideways.

It was pretty damn scary.

As festival-goers scurried for cover, food vendors tried to salvage their tents, and members of the band Big Sky Country - only a few songs into their set - ran off-stage for cover while trying to protect their valuable electronics.

DGS workers were able to stop runaway port-a-potties, but that was about all the City of Albany could save as winds and heavy wreaked damage on the event that had only just gotten started.

Check out the unbelievable video here captured here by a woman in Albany named Julia, who was at the event on Wednesday and posted the video on her Instagram.

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A post shared by Julia Albany (@julia_albany_newyork)

Headline performers, The Eli Young Band were still a few hours from their set when the City pulled the plug.

Thankfully, as far as we could tell, nobody got hurt and the makeup date has yet to be announced.

Sorry, the images are a little blurry, the sht hit the fan real quick down there and I did the best I could to be helpful to others, while also capturing some of the moment.

Aftermath Photos - Intense Storm at Food Festival in Albany 8/17/22

Check Out What Remains of The Tobin First Prize Building in Colonie

Tobin's First Prize operated from 1924 until 1981 in the Colonie building as a meat packing plant. They also manufactured fertilizers, glue, and animal hides, and it became a meat packing operation according to Spotlight News. There were offices, a boiler room, freezers, coolers, a machine shop, two incinerators, a hog pen, and a laboratory. There was a scare recently where demolition had to be halted to deal with a possible ammonia leak. Now all that stands is the 200-foot smokestack. There is no word of when that will be coming down.