Many vendors returned to Philadelphia’s Southeast Asian Market at FDR Park on Saturday, one week after a fast-moving storm tore through the market, destroying tents, equipment and inventory. While many businesses have reopened, empty spaces remain where some vendors are still recovering from ex tensive damage. More than $18,000 has been raised in less than a week to help affected vendors replace damaged infrastructure and get back on their feet. “It was a really, really challenging week to bounce back because we did take a big loss,” Melissa Ngar of Melissa Khmer BBQ said. The storm moved through the market quickly, leaving little time for vendors to react. “We couldn’t even prepare ourselves, it just happened that fast,” Chanthea Nhep, president of the Vendors Association of FDR Park and owner of Bee’z Kitchen, said. Nhep said many vendors are still processing what happened. “They’re pretty traumatized. We’ve been at the market for over 30 years and nothing like this ever happened in Philadelphia,” Nhep said. “The resilience, the determination from our vendors, I am so proud to be their president.” One vendor said the most important outcome was that everyone made it through safely. “At least, thank God, everybody safe. That’s what’s most important,” the vendor said. The recovery comes as vendors prepare for Sunday’s “Dolla Holla” event, where participating businesses will offer sample-sized dishes for $1. The event was postponed from last Sunday because of the storm, forcing many vendors to prepare for two major sales weekends. “Seeing the space is a little disheartening because I see how many vendors that was affected by it. So it does hurt,” Tany Nay of KD Khmer Style BBQ said. Still, Nay said the market’s return is a sign of the community’s resilience. “We’re here as a community and we made it. Just seeing that we’re back up and running — so that’s awesome,” Nay said. After Mother Nature took so much away, the Southeast Asian Market community is once again bringing people back to the table. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less