Severe storms disrupt Welcome To Rockville festival, damage reported across Central Florida

Severe storms disrupt Welcome To Rockville festival

Severe thunderstorms swept across Central Florida on Friday evening, bringing hail, strong winds, lightning and heavy rain that temporarily halted the Welcome to Rockville music festival in Daytona Beach.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Severe thunderstorms swept across Central Florida on Friday evening, bringing hail, strong winds, lightning and heavy rain that temporarily halted the Welcome To Rockville music festival in Daytona Beach.

Festival organizers paused performances for about 2 1/2 hours and instructed attendees to seek shelter as storms moved through the area. Gates reopened later in the evening, and performances resumed with music continuing into early Saturday morning. Some fans left early because of the delay, while others waited out the storm.

Local perspective:

The same weather system caused damage in parts of Volusia County, including Port Orange, where high winds knocked down sections of fences and hail pelted neighborhoods. Homeowners reported receiving calls from neighbors alerting them to the damage while they were away.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP

Meteorologists said the storms may have produced wind gusts near 70 mph and possible microburst conditions, pending confirmation from the National Weather Service. More than 6,000 lightning strikes were recorded across the region during the storms.

SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS

Rainfall totals exceeded 1 inch in parts of Volusia, Flagler and eastern Orange counties. Lingering showers were expected to move out overnight, with drier and hotter weather forecast for Saturday.

Forecasters said Saturday temperatures could climb into the mid- to upper 90s, with fewer storms expected compared with Friday.