STORMS MOVE INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. COMING UP IN MY SEVEN DAY FORECAST. THANK YOU. ERIC. SEVERE STORMS HIT THE METRO LAST NIGHT, LEAVING DAMAGE IN SOME AREAS, INCLUDING THE NORTON COMMONS ART FESTIVAL. NOW JOYCE OGIRRI JOINS US NOW IN THE NEWSROOM. AND JOYCE, WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THIS DAMAGE? WELL, 20 TENTS WERE DAMAGED AND SEVEN ARTISTS HAD TO DROP OUT. BUT ORGANIZERS SAY THE COMMUNITY QUICKLY CAME TOGETHER TO KEEP THE FESTIVAL GOING. THEY SAY PROTECTING ARTISTS WORK WAS A TOP PRIORITY. SEVERE STORMS MOVED THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT, DAMAGING SEVERAL TENTS AT NORTON COMMONS ARTS FESTIVAL. IT WAS REALLY CONCENTRATED AND REALLY QUICK, BUT IT DID DAMAGE SOME OF OUR ARTISTS TENTS AND PRODUCT, WHICH WAS DISAPPOINTING. BY SUNDAY MORNING, ARTISTS, VOLUNTEERS AND VENDORS WERE ALREADY CLEANING UP AND WORKING TO GET THE FESTIVAL BACK UP AND RUNNING. WE HAD DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING IN FROM THEIR HOMES AND APARTMENTS RIGHT AROUND THE AREA. THEY WERE PICKING UP TENTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE KEEPING PRODUCTS SECURE AND SAFE. THEY KNOW HOW MUCH WORK IT TAKES TO SET THESE TENTS UP AND MAKE THE PRODUCTS, AND SET IT ALL UP, AND THEY’VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE. I LOVE IT, I THINK PEOPLE REALLY LIKE TO BUY. LOCAL ORGANIZERS SAY 100 ARTISTS AND VENDORS PARTICIPATED THIS YEAR. DESPITE THE DAMAGE, MANY VENDORS AND ARTISTS STAYED FOR THE FINAL DAY OF THE FESTIVAL. JULIE DAY, WHO CREATES JEWELRY USING NATURAL STONES AND PEARLS, SAYS THE STORM DIDN’T STOP HER FROM RETURNING. THE TENT ALMOST MADE IT INTO MY CAR, BUT IT ENDED UP ON TOP OF MY CAR. BUT WE SURVIVED. I’VE DONE THIS SHOW FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS NOW, AND WE MADE IT WORK AND BOUGHT A NEW TENT THIS MORNING AND KEPT ON TRACKING. LEE PAYNE’S WARHORSES BOURBON BOTTLES AND A NORMAN COMMONS FOUNTAIN. SHE SAYS FESTIVALS LIKE THIS ONE ARE A KEY PART OF HER LIVELIHOOD. I AM A FULL TIME ARTIST. ART FESTIVALS IS JUST ONE PORTION OF MY BUSINESS, A GOOD PART OF OUR INCOME FOR THE YEAR. AND THAT’S WHY, AND SO MANY OTHERS KEEP COMING BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR. IT’S BEEN VERY WELL ATTENDED AND THE BANDS ARE FABULOUS, THE FOOD IS GREAT AND I LOVE THE SHOW. IT’S A REALLY NICE EVENT FOR LOUISVILLE. IT’S A WONDERFUL FESTIVAL. WE MAKE IT BACK EVERY YEAR. THIS IS THE 11TH YEAR FOR THE FESTIVAL. ORGANIZERS SAY NO