Fest fireworks tonight
Published 10:21 pm Thursday, October 6, 2016
- Ebony Powell, Breon Powell and Deon Powell enjoy shrimp, barbecue and all the fixings at the Suffolk Ruritan Club Shrimp Feast on Thursday. There was a steady drizzle throughout the evening, but participants still enjoyed the food and entertainment by Celeste Kellogg.
The first day of the 2016 Peanut Festival saw a steady drizzle for most of the afternoon and evening, and unfortunately the weather won’t be drying up until the festival is over.
The annual fireworks show has been rescheduled for Friday at 9 p.m., according to the festival’s Facebook page, to avoid heavier rain predicted on Saturday. The Festival of Flight scheduled for Saturday in conjunction with the Peanut Fest also has been canceled due to concern for aviators traveling to the festival in high winds.
While Thursday’s rain came from another source, Suffolk will not escape any effects of Hurricane Matthew, which pummeled the Bahamas Thursday and began making its way up the East Coast.
The storm is expected to make a U-turn near the border of North Carolina and South Carolina.
About 3 to 6 inches of rainfall is expected for southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, most of it coming from the outer bands of Hurricane Matthew.
Wakefield-based National Weather Service meteorologist Alec Butner said about 2 to 4 inches will be the average in Suffolk, with 2 inches in North Suffolk and 4 closer to the North Carolina border.
The rain is expected all weekend long, but especially Saturday. Some wind, possibly gusts up to about 30 miles an hour, could also come in late Saturday night and Sunday morning, Butner said.
He said he does not think the wind will present too much of an issue, but some smaller, weaker trees might topple over because of all the heavy rain the area has seen lately.
The weather will dry out Sunday afternoon, Butner said.
“Maybe we’ll see a moment of the sun,” he said hopefully.