After Storms Burst in Air, Mall Fireworks Pop on Cue

Fireworks Pop as Scheduled After Evacuation

After heavy rains last week, storms with lightning and strong winds yesterday afternoon tore into what had been a hot, happy and dry Mall celebration of the Fourth of July, forcing thousands to retreat to monuments, cars and even portable toilets. But skies soon cleared, and the glittering flash of the capital's annual fireworks display went off as scheduled.

Thunderstorms had rolled into the District hours earlier, sending abandoned baby carriages and trash cans rolling around as holiday visitors scurried into Metro stations for cover. About 5 p.m., police on bullhorns warned people on the Mall to find shelter and evacuated those who had arrived early. They said that the winds could be ferocious and stirred fears that the evening's festivities would be canceled -- and that last month's deluge was returning.

The Washington area had record rainfall in June, with the National Weather Service in Sterling firing off 150 flash-flood warnings last week between Sunday and Tuesday -- more than twice the number it issued in 2005.

Nearly 1,000 people in the District, Maryland and Virginia who were still without power yesterday after Sunday's storms saw their ranks grow last night. More than 87,000 homes in the area were without power by 10:40 p.m. Utility officials said they had reports of 182 wires down and 120 trees toppled.

As of 5 a.m. today, power had been restored to many homes. Pepco reported 6,478 homes without power in Montgomery County, 828 homes without power in the District, and 7,444 homes without power in Prince George's County; Dominion Virginia Power was reporting 10,575 homes without power in Northern Virginia; and Baltimore Gas and Electric reported 2,378 homes without power in Anne Arundel County. The Adelphi area of Prince George's was hit particularly hard last night. In the District, few lost power, but trees were down on several streets in Northwest.

Earlier yesterday, with the rain falling and lightning dancing across the sky, Laurie and David Cohen of Silver Spring and their 12-year-old daughter, Toba, rushed into the Federal Triangle Metro station. They had been on the Mall since 10 a.m. and planned to stay through the evening show. But, with American flags poking out of her backpack, Laurie Cohen said the family would ride the Metro to a restaurant for dinner and then come back.

Many people grew frustrated waiting for the checkpoints to reopen after the thunderstorms passed. "I just wish they'd announce something," said Jack Daly, 26, of Columbia as he stood in line with his family.

A few minutes later the good news came, and the line roared with approval. "As long as we see fireworks, we're happy," said Allison Horowitz, 22, who went to the Mall with three college friends.

Three Army officers stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center also were determined to stick it out. They had bought two rain ponchos that they planned to share. "What better place to spend the Fourth of July than the capital of the country?" said Sarah Sublett, 27, from Alaska. "I get chills just saying it."

In Annapolis, the storm hit just after the city's annual parade had started about 6 p.m. Within minutes, people had scattered, and the parade was history. "It started, but it was canceled," said a police dispatcher, describing the overall scene as "thunder, lightning, wires down, roads blocked off -- a mess."

But many other area celebrations, including those in College Park and Alexandria, went off with little delay.

Earlier in the day, the problem on the Mall was not rain but temperatures soaring into the 90s. Families browsing the Smithsonian Folklife Festival's Alberta exhibit ducked for shade into tents highlighting the Canadian province's culture and climate. The fly-fishing demonstrations and photographs of glaciers seemed especially out of place.