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Tornado rips through DC, knocks down 4th of July preparations
The DC area was hit pretty hard by the storms that swept through the region on Thursday night. The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado ripped through and caused damage.
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - The DC area was hit pretty hard by the storms that swept through the region on Thursday night. The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado ripped through and caused damage.
The heavy rain and strong winds knocked down the preparations up for the 4th of July celebration this weekend like fencing, tents, and portable toilets, but crews worked diligently all day so most of it is now back up.
The storms that rolled through last night left a wild scene. Tree branches and limbs like this were found everywhere near the Washington Monument in the morning.
RELATED: 2 tornadoes touched down in DC, Arlington: National Weather Service
The powerful storms hit northwest around 9 p.m. Thursday night.
Mike Litterst, Spokesperson for the National Mall, said luckily it was a rainy and stormy day so no one was outside near the monuments and most importantly, there were no injuries.
He added the worst damage was on Constitution Gardens, along Constitution Avenue, and near the Washington Monument.
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Cleanup continues at the National Mall after storms cause damage
The DC area was hit pretty hard by the storms that swept through the region on Thursday night. The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado ripped through and caused damage.
Fox 5’s Sierra Fox spoke with tourists who were surprised after seeing a tornado warning here in DC.
"Oh, I don’t like tornadoes. I’m allergic to them," said WC Brown.
"I’m from Texas so kind of used to this, but where she lived, we were on the 7th floor, panoramic view, it was legit, the lighting was legit, the wind was like crazy. Walking around here we’re like holy cow because you see trees split from the lightning and what not – it was crazy," said Jennifer Eddlemon. "Hey it’s Mother Nature’s pre-4th of July Spectacular, right?!"
Luckily, the light show will go on.
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"The fireworks appear to be unaffected, the tubes that they launched from are upright, the waterproofing is still in place so that’s one thing that doesn’t look like it’ll need any repair work or fixes," said Litterst.
The firework show at the National Mall starts at 9:09 p.m. and will last 17 minutes.
Authorities recommend people plan a little extra time to get through security, stay hydrated, and bring sunscreen.
It looks like it’ll turn out to be a beautiful, sunny day, but in the event of severe weather. In event of severe weather, there are 11 safe haven buildings in place for people to be protected and take cover.