WASHINGTON—The National Mall reopened late Saturday after severe thunderstorms forced a temporary evacuation of thousands of people attending Independence Day celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, allowing the delayed program, presidential address and fireworks display to proceed, organizers and federal authorities said.
Officials ordered visitors to leave the National Mall and seek shelter earlier in the evening after weather warnings for lightning and severe storms. Emergency messages from Washington's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and event organizers instructed attendees to move into nearby federal buildings and museums while public safety officials monitored conditions.
Freedom 250, the organization coordinating much of the anniversary celebration, later announced that security gates would reopen at 9:45 p.m. EDT. The group said the decision was made at President Donald Trump's direction after weather conditions improved and confirmed that Trump's remarks would begin at 11 p.m., followed by the scheduled fireworks display. The U.S. Secret Service said security screening areas reopened, with all returning attendees required to pass through screening again.
The weather disruption capped a day already affected by dangerous heat across the nation's capital. Organizers had adjusted schedules for several anniversary events because of extreme temperatures, while officials urged visitors to stay hydrated and seek shade where possible. Reports from event organizers indicated that multiple people required medical attention for heat-related illnesses during the day's festivities.
Despite the interruption, celebrations resumed later in the evening as crowds re-entered the National Mall for the delayed program. Trump ultimately delivered his address before the fireworks display, which organizers had billed as the centerpiece of the nationwide commemoration of the country's semiquincentennial.
The evacuation highlighted the challenges facing organizers as severe weather moved across the Washington region during one of the largest public gatherings held in the capital this year. Law enforcement officers and event staff directed attendees toward designated shelters before allowing the public to return once the immediate storm threat had passed.
Federal and local authorities did not report any storm-related fatalities linked to the evacuation. By the end of the evening, the National Mall had reopened, the delayed schedule had been completed, and officials concluded the anniversary celebration after the fireworks display.
