Storm threat disrupts Trump’s Fourth of July celebration

A storm threat forced thousands of spectators to evacuate the National Mall on Saturday evening, disrupting President Donald Trump’s plans for a large Fourth of July celebration tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The event was set to feature remarks by Trump and what organizers planned as a record-breaking fireworks display over the Washington, D.C., area. But shortly after the main program was scheduled to begin, organizers told attendees to leave the celebration area around the Washington Monument as lightning and dark clouds moved over the White House and toward the Mall.

Thousands of people, many dressed in red, white and blue, were directed to seek shelter in nearby buildings, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Ronald Reagan Building. Some spectators appeared reluctant to leave until security officials urged them to evacuate. As people streamed toward the exits, jets completed flyovers overhead.

Inside the Ronald Reagan Building, National Guard troops set up seats and provided free water for evacuees.

The disruption came after a day of punishing heat. In the hours before the program was to begin, spectators faced a heat index in the triple digits. Multiple people told NBC News they saw others pass out or experience medical problems. It was not immediately clear whether the event would resume.

The Guardian reported that many attendees opted to remain on the Mall even as clouds darkened overhead. The outlet also reported that Saturday’s Independence Day parade through Washington was abruptly canceled, one day after a parade was canceled in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

The weather emergency was the latest disruption to a series of long-planned events marking the semiquincentennial. The Fourth of July programming followed a weekslong celebration on the National Mall that had already been affected by soaring temperatures. Officials temporarily shut down the Great American State Fair because of the heat, and the D.C. Fire Department said health officials had more than four dozen patient contacts at the program.

The Fourth of July event was spearheaded by Freedom 250, a public-private partnership established by the Trump administration. A separate group, America250, is a nonprofit created a decade ago to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary and is not affiliated with the Freedom 250 Fourth of July program.

Freedom 250 and the National Park Service had planned to launch about 850,000 fireworks from several locations in the D.C. area. Organizers said that would break the Guinness World Record for the largest fireworks display. The current record was set in 2016 in the Philippines, where 811,000 fireworks were launched at a megachurch over the course of an hour.

The Washington show was planned as a 40-minute display, far larger than a typical July Fourth fireworks show, which usually includes about 33,000 fireworks over 20 minutes. Saturday’s planned display was expected to use more than 25 times the usual number of fireworks.

The celebration had also faced earlier complications. In May, several performers who had been listed on the lineup announced they would no longer take part in the weekslong program. NBC News reported that multiple artists cited the events’ politics in explaining their decisions. Days later, Trump criticized the artists and suggested canceling performances.