Storms disrupt July 4th as U.S. marks 250th anniversary

2 min readUpdated July 5, 2026

Severe thunderstorms forced the evacuation of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Saturday evening, disrupting the centerpiece of national celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, according to CBS News.

The evacuation order came from Park Police and other agencies at approximately 7 p.m. Eastern Time, right as the night's programming was about to get underway. Thousands who had waited through lengthy security screening in the day's punishing heat found themselves being turned away before the evening's events began, according to The New York Times. Some refused to leave and argued with Secret Service personnel, chanting "U.S.A.!" At the Commerce Department, a building designated as a shelter, evacuees found the doors locked, with no way to get inside, according to The New York Times.

According to a statement from Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez, gates to the National Mall would swing back open at 9:45 p.m., with the president scheduled to address the crowd at 11 p.m. before the fireworks. "Rain or shine, the American people deserve a celebration worthy of our nation's historic 250th birthday," Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said, according to USA Today.

Trump posted on Truth Social that he would not allow the weather to cancel the evening's events. "I don't care if it's 2:00 O'Clock in the morning, or in one hour from now," he wrote, according to CBS News.

The Secret Service announced that its checkpoints would resume operations and that anyone who had been evacuated would face a full round of screening before being allowed back onto the grounds. Earlier in the evening, CBS News had reported — citing two law enforcement sources — that Secret Service personnel had laid the magnetometers on their sides as a precaution against damage from the incoming storm.

Disruptions extended along much of the East Coast. In Philadelphia, the One Philly: Unity Concert for America on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was halted due to an approaching severe thunderstorm, city officials announced, according to CBS News. At the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, a severe thunderstorm warning sent Massachusetts State Police scrambling to move the crowd into a Storrow Drive tunnel for roughly 25 minutes, after which the all-clear allowed attendees to return outside, according to .

Celebrations in western cities proceeded without weather-related interruptions. Nashville hosted a star-studded concert across multiple downtown stages, and a benefit show at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum featured performances by Chris Stapleton and others, according to USA Today.

Pyrotecnico, the company behind the Washington display, had engineered what organizers called a record-setting show — more than 850,000 shells set to detonate over a span of roughly 40 minutes, according to CBS News.

Update, July 5, 2026: The evacuation order for the National Mall area was lifted approximately two hours after it was issued. The fireworks display ultimately began seconds before midnight, extending the celebration into the early hours of July 5. (per BBC News)

Storms disrupt July 4th celebrations across U.S. as nation marks 250th anniversary

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