Crowds ordered to evacuate National Mall area as stormy weather slams DC

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: WJLA-TV Arlington, VA

Sat, July 4, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Updated Sat, July 4, 2026 at 7:16 PM


WASHINGTON (7News) — The thousands of people attending the Great American State Fair and other areas around the National Mall are being ordered to evacuate as stormy weather approaches.

The National Weather Service previously announced a Severe Thunderstorm Warning in the District. Officials are asking attendees to seek shelter.

The DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management released a list of places where the crowds can go to get out of the weather:

Federal Buildings:

Ronald Reagan Building - 100 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Dept. of Commerce - 1401 Constitution Ave NW

Dept. of Agriculture - 1400 Independence Dr SW

Dept. of Education - 400 Maryland Ave SW

Internal Revenue Service - 1111 Constitution Ave NW

Voice of America - 330 Independence Ave SW

Thomas Jefferson Memorial - 16 E Basin Dr SW

Read more: https://wjla.com/news/local/crowds-ordered-to-evacuate-national-mall-area-as-stormy-weather-slams-dc-america-250-july-4-july-2026

[IronLionZion]

1. Old Testament smiting and wrath

it's God's will. This whole week has been Biblical.

Or as MAGA likes to say, Antifa has secret weather controlling machines on top of their algae and paint cutting. Antifa stopped MAGA from visiting the great American state fair somehow. They're so diabolical like that.

[PatSeg]

26. Oh absolutely Biblical - Old testament!

Can't win for losing it appears.

[riversedge]

2. I posted this morning of upcoming severe storm warnings so DC had to have know.

[Deuxcents]

3. Don't people check the weather when going to such events? They've been calling for severe weather all week

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. In DC that means you wouldn't leave the house from

mid-May to October1. You go outside anyway, trying to get as much done as you can.

[IronLionZion]

13. I go outside in the heat but have no interest in going to the MAGA state fair

[Deuxcents]

19. I'm in Florida and we're checking all the time just to be aware and stay safe. We're used to it, I guess

[calimary]

48. Good. You stay safe!

[Teacher of the Year]

36. It's that phrase they snuck in...in "the area". It is DC. A couple of hundred thousand people live

within a couple of mile radius of the White House. So they can say "thousands in the area" since, truthfully, that would be like 1 % of the population being out in their neighborhood.

By adding in the local population, it doesn' sound quite so bad, does it? THOUSANDS!! People are evacuating because of the weather!! (a tiny handful of FAIRGOERS!!!! and THOUSANDS!!!! of local residents, who don't care because all the streets are blocked off and they can't go anywhere anyway.

But, yeah, a handful of fairgoers were inconvenienced.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. There was just a flyover by six large aircraft

and some smaller ones as well. There was a pair of B-1s included. The weather is getting to be a concern for aircraft operations. The crews want to stay out of the way.This is a good time to shut things down.

The temperature is wonderful. I’ve opened some windows.

[electric_blue68]

9. Temps have lowered?

Have a friend near by in Arlington and she was saying about 20+ mins ago she started hearing thunder.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. By about twenty degrees. NT

[electric_blue68]

20. Excellent!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

28. It's in the low 80s outside. Great time to reject the bourgeousie by opening windows. NT

[IronLionZion]

15. I live right under the flight path as they head towards the air show

so it has been kind of cool seeing them from the air conditioned comfort of my home. I saw some B-2 Spirits and V22 Ospreys among other aircraft. Several Coast Guard planes and helicopters and a large civilian jet too. I just googled and that was the new Air Force One.

The next planes on the schedule for tonight are the Golden Knights parachute jump and more B-1 Lancers doing an afterburner night pass.

We also had several motorcades with lots of black SUVs pass by me today, including one just now as I'm typing this.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

22. The big group of planes that went over just before the shutdown was called

went right over the parking structure that is situated over I-66 next to Washington-Lee High School. That's next to where I used to live. The planes had a straight shot from there to the Washington Monument. The B-1s went over at 324 knots at 1,725 feet. At least one other plane in the group went over at 1,200 feet. Friends of mine from the neighborhood were getting pictures.

I wasn't going anywhere in that heat. I heard what turned out to be the Blue Angels going north to south over Alexandria on their way out of Dodge. I couldn't get outside in time to see them. Later, I was outside when the Thunderbirds came over, going east to west, turning north (clockwise) to go over Arlington and the Reflecting Pool.

[lastlib]

47. Nah, you didn't see any B-2s..........

those are stealth planes, dontcha know?

Would a frugal regime like drumpf's spend all that money to fly those babies in all the way from Missouri, just to do a flyover??

[IronLionZion]

49. B2 Spirit is kind of like John Cena

The B1 Lancer afterburner right at the beginning of the fireworks was pretty cool to see. Blue and white chem trails flew right over top of me.

Having active lightning all over the night sky while the fireworks show was going feels like a metaphor for something these days.

[Cheezoholic]

21. That was his entourage. 2 747's a KC135 2 C17's a couple of fighters and 2 B1's. They tried to make a run at the mall

2 times then had to turn around for a cell that popped up just E of the mall. I'm surprised you didn't hear them breaking off. They were stuck just W of DC at 5kft for about 30 min waiting for that one cell to move then the first 747 (which was the customary AF1) made a pass but then another cell popped and his entourage with his fake AF1 had to break off, go back and circle again for maybe 10 min then they made a run at the mall at 500ft which I believe is absolutely insane right over neighborhoods. Then they exited to the E climbed out to 10k and another cell popped over Andrews so they were stuck holding for another 20-30 min until just now they are heading in with a weather window as more weather is moving in. It literally looked like the keystone cops on flight radar lol. He's over Point Lookout roughly now. My gut hurts I was laughing so hard.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

25. The customary plane was the VC-25A with registration number 92-9000.

The Qatari plane has registration number 25-3200. 92-9000 made about a dozen circles over Oakton and Centreville at 3,000 ft.

[Cheezoholic]

27. I'm aware. AF1 anything the pres is in even if its a Cub. Qatari plane actually will have the AF designation VC25B

The B for "bridge" aircraft until the new VC25A is done. Regardless, that flight path and sequence was in no way planned. If it was then the flight show boss was drunk lol.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

30. The Mid-Atlantic Mil Air group was kept busy this afternoon.

https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/mid-atlantic-and-beyond-milair-2026.495977/page-240

I don't listen to aviation frequencies. I'd like to have some time off.

[Cheezoholic]

33. Yeah, there was some interesting stuff going on lol. I'm an old ex pilot and have been to tons of airshows

I wasn't there but as a distant observer as the evening went on and the inevitable schedule back log started, especially with a flyby every 10 min for over 7 hours (?wut?) and then the weather started coming in and storms started popping it sure looked and sounded a bit disorganized to say the least. Think the Oshkosh crew shoulda been called in lol. I mean that E to W flight path sure looked like it was right over neighborhoods. 747's at 500ft right over them with storms all over the place and chaotic outflow from them causing very unpredictable wind shear conditions? Flights running out of fuel? Maybe I'm wrong but that doesn't seem safe ESPECIALLY from the professional military. But then

[riversedge]

5. crowd now leaving. few seem to be in a hurry..........

Link to tweet

?s=20

[PatSeg]

29. Wow, there are actually people there?

Not terribly smart ones though, considering the weather predictions.

[wnylib]

35. I'm surprised at how many turned out.

[PatSeg]

40. Me too, didn't see that coming

[wnylib]

41. I think they came out for the fireworks just because that's traditional for the 4th..

[Martin68]

46. This has been predicted for days on advance.

[riversedge]

7. weather Map of D.C...............

Link to tweet

?s=20

[riversedge]

8. 34m "Evacuate for your own safety". People, who've queued for hours to get into Donald Trump's "Salute to America" on t

Richard Gaisford
@richardgaisford
·
34m
“Evacuate for your own safety”. People, who’ve queued for hours to get into Donald Trump’s “Salute to America” on the National Mall in Washington DC, have now been told to leave due to severe weather on the horizon.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[riversedge]

10. ...a severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect through 10 PM ET. Meanwhile, a fascinating view of flight patterns can

Brian LaMarre
@blamarre
·
8m
Strong thunderstorms are approaching the D.C metro area and a severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect through 10 PM ET. Meanwhile, a fascinating view of flight patterns can be seen of the military aircraft show across the area.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[riversedge]

11. ...Camera operators and technicians cover their equipment due to thunderstorms in the area during the "Salute to America

Camera operators and technicians cover their equipment due to thunderstorms in the area during the "Salute to America" Independence Day celebration on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2026.


https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/july-4th-america-250-birthday/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=974764786

[riversedge]

18. BREAKING: "For your safety, please back away from the stage" announcement as storm approaches Great American State Fair

Link to tweet

?s=20


BREAKING: "For your safety, please back away from the stage" announcement as storm approaches Great American State Fair in Washington DC during #America250 celebration.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[purr-rat beauty]

12. Womp womp

I'm sure the majority who are there are magats so I don't care

[Lovie777]

14. The smartest man in every universe.....

and planet earth did not know this was coming?

[50 Shades Of Blue]

16. Bwahahahahahahahaha!

THANK YOU DC WEATHER!

[doublethink]

23. Best Post and Thread of the day !!

Thanks for all the liinks guys! Happy 4trh !!

[Keepthesoulalive]

24. Someone said they believed it was a weather channel hoax

I call these type of storms heat storms. Trees were swaying , back to back lightning strikes and heavy downpours. There is a deity and it was pissed.

[PghTiny]

31. Mother Nature is not playing around tonight

Probably irked that so many Traitor Front boys showed up today.

[Vinca]

32. Gee, is God sending a message to his orange son????

[wnylib]

37. So where is the divine power of Jesus Trump today?

Can't he make the storm go away?

Maybe some pissed off Lakotas danced a storm toward DC in retaliation for the sacrilege of the Pedo's speech at Rushmore yesterday.

[Blue Owl]

34. Where oh where will the tens of people go?

[Warpy]

38. Just gets better and better

The one night that might have drawn crowds has a lot of them saying to hell with it and scurrying for the Metro, along with the idiotic news that fireworks wouldn't start until 11PM, far too late for the kiddies.

Sad.

[aggiesal]

39. No doubt Mierda47 will fire whoever is in charge of the NWS, for not providing the perfect weather for July the 4th. n/t

[DET]

42. They're supposedly letting them back in now. (nt)

[question everything]

43. Also in the Twin Cities.

[ColoringFool]

44. "thousands"? Must be that New Math.

[Martin68]

45. The Universe has spoken.