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.
Freedom 250 said the National Mall will reopen at 9:45 p.m. President Donald Trump is now set to give his remarks at 11 p.m. and the fireworks will happen after.
"Rain or shine, the American people deserve a celebration worthy of our nation's historic 250th birthday. For 250 years, Americans have overcome every challenge with grit, resilience, and determination. A little rain will never diminish our pride, our patriotism, or our celebration of the greatest nation in the history of the world," the post read.
President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social "we will wait it out."
SEE ALSO: Historic Fourth of July fireworks to light up National Mall: How to watch live
This comes after Freedom 250 announced that all the remaining flyovers for the night have been canceled.
The D.C. Homeland Security & Emergency Management released a list of places where the crowds can go to get out of the weather:
Ronald Reagan Building - 100 Pennsylvania Ave NW
- 100 Pennsylvania Ave NW Dept. of Commerce - 1401 Constitution Ave NW
- 1401 Constitution Ave NW Dept. of Agriculture - 1400 Independence Dr SW
- 1400 Independence Dr SW Dept. of Education - 400 Maryland Ave SW
- 400 Maryland Ave SW Internal Revenue Service - 1111 Constitution Ave NW (OCCUPATION CAPACITY REACHED)
- 1111 Constitution Ave NW Voice of America - 330 Independence Ave SW
- 330 Independence Ave SW Thomas Jefferson Memorial - 16 E Basin Dr SW
National Museum of American History - 1300 Constitution Ave NW
- 1300 Constitution Ave NW National Museum of Natural History - 1000 Constitution Ave NW
- 1000 Constitution Ave NW National Museum of African American History and Culture - 1400 Constitution Ave NW
Freedom 250 organizers released this statement:
"The safety of our guests, performers, and staff is our top priority. Due to approaching severe storms, Freedom 250, United States Secret Service, United States Park Police, National Park Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and all public safety partners are asking all guests to evacuate event grounds and seek temporary shelter in a nearby building. Available shelter locations include the Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Internal Revenue Service, VOA Building, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, the African American Museum, and the Ronald Reagan Building. Please remain calm, follow the directions of law enforcement and event staff, and stay tuned to Freedom 250's official channels for updates. Freedom 250 will share updates on programming and doors reopening — please stay close to our official channels for updates."
The Secret Service said they had suspended screening on the National Mall.
"Security screening on the National Mall has been suspended due to dangerous storms," the Secret Service said. "If you are already on the grounds, follow directions from officers and event staff and move to shelter immediately. Do not shelter under trees."
Metro riders are also asked to seek shelter. Commuters should expect heavy crowds at stations near the National Mall and are asked to consider using L'Enfant Plaza, Metro Center, Archives, Federal Triangle or Federal Center SW stations to avoid congestion.
1stHalfTexasfan on July 4th, 2026 at 23:59 UTC »
Extreme heat and now storms. Its like a certain deity just doesn't want it to happen.
CouchCorrespondent on July 4th, 2026 at 23:57 UTC »
And they all piled into one car and drove off...
B-Z_B-S on July 4th, 2026 at 23:57 UTC »
MAGA cultists: “The Democrats summoned the storms with evil satanic rituals! They learned how to invoke these rituals from Communist China!”