DC parade canceled as excessive heat further upends America 250 festivities
The annual Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C., was canceled late Friday due to sweltering temperatures in the nation’s capital.
The event, which is hosted by the National Park Service, was scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. Organizers said they canceled the procession due to an “Extreme Heat Warning” from the National Weather Service (NWS).
Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 102 degrees in the district on the Fourth of July, with showers and thunderstorms expected in the evening hours, according to the NWS. Heat index values are expected to hit between 110 and 115 degrees.
“This decision was made after extensive consultation with the National Park Service, the District of Columbia City Government, and Freedom 250, and careful consideration of the safety of our participants, spectators, and staff as the top priority,” a statement on the event’s website reads.
A heat dome over the region has forced organizers for the festivities marking America’s 250th anniversary in the city to readjust plans.
The Great American State Fair — a 16-day event on the National Mall — temporarily closed down earlier Friday amid reports that 44 attendees had to receive medical attention for heat-related illnesses. Local outlet, NBC Washington 4, reported later in the day that 11 people were transported to the hospital and seven of the cases were considered “serious.”
The fair later reopened to the public ahead of the Capitol Fourth concert.
Freedom 250, the fair’s organizer, also delayed the opening of the event on Saturday morning by two hours to accommodate extreme temperatures.
“With warm temperatures expected, guests are encouraged to stay hydrated, wear lightweight clothing, apply sunscreen, take breaks in the shade, utilize cooling areas, and look out for family and friends,” the committee wrote in a social media post on Friday.
President Trump is still expected to take the stage at the fair on Saturday evening to deliver a lengthy speech marking America’s 250th birthday. His remarks will follow a packed schedule of military flyovers over the National Mall, and he will kick off a record-breaking fireworks show in the late evening.
“By the way, on July 4th, it’s going to be approximately 107 degrees out, and I’m going to go, and I’m going to make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything,” Trump said in a speech at the opening ceremony for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, N.D., earlier this week.
The event also follows his “optimistic” speech marking the semiquincentennial in South Dakota late Friday, with Mount Rushmore in the background.
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5953304-washington-dc-july-4-parade-canceled-execessive-heat/
