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Restaurant commemorates anniversary of tornado
Ches. Beach business was damaged last year
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by DARWIN WEIGEL
Traders Seafood Steak and Ale owners Jim, left, and Gary Luckett in Chesapeake Beach pose in front of their business that was damaged by a tornado a year ago this Thursday.
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To commemorate the first anniversary of the June 4 tornado that hit Chesapeake Beach, Trader's Seafood Steak and Ale will host a tornado party tomorrow night.
Owners Gary and Jim Luckett want to thank the community for its help after the tornado and while they were rebuilding, said Kelly Felton, the restaurant's general manager.
"It doesn't seem like a year" since the storm hit the town, she said.
Part of the restaurant's roof was blown off and the restaurant also suffered water damage, closing it for three and a half months for repairs.
"It enabled us to do some remodeling. It was long overdue," Felton said.
Felton said she was on the road nearby when the tornado came through saying, "it was frightening."
Trish Streets, bartender and manager, was working at the restaurant when the tornado hit.
"Pandemonium, there's no other word to describe it," she said.
"I saw it coming … a massive ball of wind and rain, coming from Kellams field," said Streets, who also said it sounded like a train roaring, a common reference for the sound of a tornado.
Everybody ran hollering, "get down, get down," and Streets said she ran to the walk-in beer cooler — a move she said she would always make if there was a tornado.
"In 10, 15 seconds it was over." Then the rain started pouring in the ceiling as they all tried to make their way out, she said.
"It was just a mess."
Owner Gary Luckett was attending his daughter Kelsey's high school graduation when he got word about the restaurant and had to leave the ceremony. The restaurant had 25 guests and 10 employees inside when the tornado touched down. No one inside the restaurant was injured; however, three state road workers were injured just outside of the restaurant, Luckett told a reporter after the tornado hit. Streets said she won't be working for the tornado party tomorrow, she will be a customer.
Streets and Felton created a drink called Trader's Twister that they are unveiling for the occasion.
"It's quite tasty," Streets said, but would not divulge the recipe.
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