Record Heat, Flood Watch, and Lightning Beset Washington, D.C. Freedom 250 on National Mall

Deadly storms and severe weather across the United States left hundreds of thousands of utility customers without power as millions across the Northeast experienced record-setting temperatures.

“Trump celebrates Fourth of July in National Mall address, repeatedly touches on politics Weather delayed Trump's address celebrating America's 250th birthday”

ABC News

In Washington, D.C., the Freedom 250 Fourth of July celebrations on the National Mall were beset by record heat, lightning strikes, an evacuation order and widespread confusion about whether the event would go forward.

ABC News

CBS News said 34 million people in the Northeast were under a flood watch through late Monday as repeated rounds of heavy rain in the mid-Atlantic region could lead to flash flooding in the Northeast's urban areas.

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said Atlantic City, New Jersey set its highest temperature for July at 105 degrees on Saturday, and CBS News reported storms produced wind gusts of up to 70 mph in places like Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

ABC News reported that the preliminary high temperature in Washington, D.C., Saturday was 102 degrees, making it the hottest July Fourth on record for the city, and it broke the previous record high of 100 degrees set on July 4, 1919.

Weather delayed the start of “Salute to America 250” on the National Mall, with ABC News saying the celebration was slated to begin at 7 p.m. but did not start until 10:45 p.m.

ABC News reported that during his address, President Donald Trump thanked the crowd for their patience and said, "I want to thank everybody, because they did the right thing."

CBS News

NPR said Trump took the stage at the National Mall around 11:15 p.m. ET after stormy weather forced evacuations and delays, and it quoted him praising America’s history and saying, "For two and a half centuries our American Republic has stood as the crowning achievement of human history."

NPR also reported that after Trump’s roughly half an hour speech, a massive fireworks display lit up the sky, with the pyrotechnics at times competing with lightning.

Newsweek reported that organizers promoted the fireworks finale as a potential Guinness World Records record breaker, saying more than 850,000 pyrotechnic effects would light up the skies over Washington, D.C., while Guinness World Records and Freedom 250 had not announced verification as of Sunday.

CBS News said more than 797,000 utility customers remained powerless on Sunday afternoon, with the most outages recorded in Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to PowerOutage.us.

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CBS News reported there were at least 25 suspected heat-related deaths across New Jersey, according to the state's health department, and it quoted New Jersey Department of Health spokesperson Dalya Ewais saying, "Each of these tragic deaths is one too many,".

The same CBS News report said Atlantic City, New Jersey set its highest temperature for July at 105 degrees, and it described storms that helped fuel wind gusts of up to 70 mph in places like Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

NBC4 Washington reported that the National Park Service plans to launch 850,000 from barges on the Potomac River to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary, and it quoted University of Maryland professor Christopher Kenseth saying, "So, this really has the potential, particularly in the immediate vicinity of the Mall, to create a severe health risk."

NPR said federal and local officials told attendees earlier on Saturday night to evacuate and seek shelter in nearby federal buildings and museums due to "a severe thunderstorm," and it described joint efforts to expand cooling resources, water stations, and medical support across the grounds.