The weather was overcast, but not stormy in Prince William County last night, but apparently things were quite different down on the National Mall:
Hundreds of thousands of Fourth of July celebrators poured into Washington yesterday, talking nervously about terrorist threats and tornado warnings, then running for cover late in the afternoon when a violent thunderstorm swept through the area. But the foul weather soon passed, and the annual fireworks display went off as scheduled.
Police used bullhorns to evacuate the Mall at almost the same time they warned visitors to take shelter last year when a storm drenched the July 4 crowd and sent trash cans rattling into the streets. As happened last year, people tried to stay dry inside the Smithsonian museums and other nearby structures, but they weren’t happy about it.
“It’s big-time disappointing,” said Doug Smith, 52, of Germantown, outside a garage near the Capitol grounds. “I’d rather weather a hurricane than sit here for four hours.”
At 6:15 p.m., with rain coming down hard and people talking about seeing golf-ball-size hailstones, the Lincoln Memorial was crowded. Some sat on folding chairs or on coolers. Some stood between the columns. Others sat on the steps, trying to keep dry under ponchos and umbrellas.
Bill Line, a spokesman for the National Park Service, said 21 buildings were open to the public during the rainstorm. D.C. officials said 10 shelters were available last year.
By 9:10 p.m., however, the frustration some experienced during the day seemed to melt as crowds watched the fireworks on a breezy summer evening.
And, as usual, it was quite a night.
