The main festive event in Washington, organized under the title Freedom 250 on the occasion of 250 years since the Declaration of Independence of the United States, was urgently evacuated on the evening of July 4 (early morning of July 5 Bulgarian time) due to the threat of a devastating storm.
As of 4:00 hours Bulgarian time on July 5, 2026 the situation in the American capital remains dynamic:
Evacuation Order: Shortly after 7:15 p.m. local time, just hours before the festivities were set to culminate, the U.S. National Park Service and the Secret Service ordered thousands of residents on the National Mall to immediately evacuate the open spaces. Reason for the emergency measure: The National Weather Service warned of approaching severe thunderstorms with lightning and dangerous wind gusts reaching between 110 and 130 km/h. Evacuations became mandatory after lightning struck less than 5 kilometers from the area. Shelter Organization: Organizers urged people to seek temporary shelter in nearby government buildings and the Smithsonian Institution museums. National Guard units were also deployed to direct the crowd. Citizen Reaction: The warnings caused some confusion and chaos. While most people headed for the exits, groups of hundreds of supporters initially refused to leave the area in front of the stands, chanting patriotic slogans and the name of President Donald Trump, which required the intervention of the police. Program changes: The storm disrupted the Salute to America event schedule. President Donald Trump, who was scheduled to deliver a major speech to the nation, as well as the celebration of what was billed as the “largest in history” fireworks, were temporarily delayed. Extreme context: Throughout the day, the East Coast of the United States was gripped by an unprecedented heat wave with temperatures around 40°C. The morning parade in Washington, D.C., was also canceled due to the extreme heat. Bad weather also affected celebrations in other major cities, including Boston and Philadelphia.Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez said safety was a top priority and teams were monitoring weather radar in real time to announce when and how the public events would resume.
Sources: The Guardian, The Times, CBS News, Le Monde