COVID-19 vaccine distribution sites disrupted by weekend storms reopen

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Some COVID-19 vaccinations sites that were forced to close Sunday because of severe storms reopened Monday.

Sites, like the one at the Valencia College West Campus, had to be shut down for the day as heavy wind and rain moved across Central Florida Sunday afternoon.

Watch: Severe storms drop buckets of hail, brings strong winds to parts of Central Florida on Sunday

This week makes it clear: The rainy season is underway in Florida. And that could spell trouble for the many mobile vaccination sites.

Many are walk-up sites and have little cover.

Videos sent to Channel 9 from viewers show why state officials might have erred on the side of caution and closed the walk-up, tented sites like this one.

People across Central Florida likely heard the hail banging into their homes.

Watch: Orange County Convention Center vaccine site to close at the end of May, focus shifts to mobile pods

There were also strong winds, which were at around 40 mph in the area.

Everything at the Federal Emergency Management Agency site at Valencia College is done in large tents.

So officials just didn’t feel comfortable having several thousand people – 3,000 getting their first doses and about as many getting their second doses – at the site, as it might be dangerous to be outside.

READ: Orange County announces mobile COVID-19 vaccination program for vulnerable communities

The state is asking people to come back Monday, especially those who were here weeks ago and came back for their second doses.

A mobile site planned for Sunday was able to shift indoors to the Church of Christ in the Washington Shores area.

Officials at that event believe rain impacted their vaccination numbers. Out of the 400 doses available, they only gave out 135.

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Cox Media Group