MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There was a party on Beale Street on Sunday as Grizzlies fans packed the area sporting blue and gold.
“Cause everybody loves the Griz and its playoffs. Playoffs,” Sarah Mickles said.
“The Grizzlies. We’re always down here for the Grizzlies. Big Grizzlies fan,” Gina Hall said.
“Big crowds is what we do quite frankly,” Jay Wells, Senior Manager at Silky O’Sullivan’s, said. “So we just prepared for a bigger one and one that will be here a lot longer.”
The threat of severe weather sweeping through the Mid-South caused major worries for Beale Street businesses.
“Emergency services down here — the police generally let us know what’s going on,” Scott Lawrence, Manager at Aldred’s on Beale, said. “If it’s going to be really bad, they are really good about letting us know.”
Managers said booming thunder, pouring rain, and wind gusts could cause them to lose business.
“Well it certainly won’t help it,” Wells said.
“We’ve got this big beautiful patio that gets a little bit wet, and folks normally tend to push inside,” Lawrence explained.
The storms rolled through Downtown Memphis after businesses already stocked up on extra supplies and brought in additional staff.
“There’s nothing you can do about the weather but just hope it doesn’t just wash everything away. There’s no real preparedness you can do,” Wells said;.
Businesses know mother nature is in control, but fans said they are staying put no matter what.
“Rain or shine. We are here. We are here rain or shine,” Hall said.
