Severe storms moving toward Washington forced organizers to evacuate the National Mall on Saturday, disrupting President Donald Trump’s planned rally marking America’s 250th anniversary of independence.
“Freedom 250 will share updates on programming and doors reopening,” Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a statement, urging participants to seek shelter in museums and federal buildings near the National Mall.
The evacuation complicated one of the most prominent events of the milestone holiday, which had been building for months as Americans prepared to reflect on the country’s complicated history, from former colonies of an empire to a global superpower.
Fireworks plans were still moving forward in other cities, including Chicago and New York, where tall ships passed the Statue of Liberty earlier in the day in a scene recalling the fanfare around America’s bicentennial in 1976.
But across much of the East Coast, months of planning were forced to adjust to the weather. Extreme heat, with temperatures approaching and in some places surpassing triple digits, led organizers to modify or cancel events entirely.
The heat gripping the East Coast overshadowed many of the celebrations, particularly in Washington. Signs at the Great American State Fair posted an alert shortly after 7 p.m. encouraging participants to leave the area.
Military planes perform a flyover of the the Hudson river
(Photo: AP)
As the evacuation order was played over loudspeakers on the National Mall, some people appeared to remain in place, talking with those around them, while others walked toward exits. National Guard troops told people to leave. The National Mall is an exposed park, though museums and other buildings stand near the open grassy area.
Crowds had been building several hours before Trump’s planned speech. Tina Hale, 58, of Cohoes, New York, watched three of her grandchildren dip their hands into a pool of water near a museum. Hale pointed toward the sky and urged them to look up as three military jets roared above the crowd. “If that doesn’t make you proud to be an American,” she said.