Rain and thunderstorms are expected to arrive in Washington D.C. on  Monday just in time for Independence Day, due to a storm that has already made some Midwest towns to cancel the planned celebrations. Most of the United States, however, would enjoy a free sky over the holiday weekend.

The capital is heading towards a path of a slow-moving storm that could bring significant rain in the city. Even though the fireworks display on the National Mall has never been canceled, this could be moved to Tuesday for safety concerns, as reported by USA Today.

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Spectators watching the parade on both sides of Constitution Avenue. Credit: Clear Wisdom

“It looks like that area could see some heavy rain. That could be a major issue we see around that area,” Allan Reppert, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, told USA Today. “We are not looking at very good conditions, and I would not be surprised to see some fireworks cancellations due to rains.”

Some cancellations of parades and fireworks were already prompted in Indiana, while other towns in the southern New York delayed or rescheduled the fireworks due to weather concerns during the festivities. However, forecasters assured that New York, Boston, and the Northeast should escape the rain on Monday night.

Escalated concerns

In other areas, the concerns are more serious than a little bit of rain that could damage the celebrations. Northern Maryland and northern West Virginia were warned about flash flood watches on Monday, and flood warnings for parts of Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio were also released.

According to the National Weather service, areas or Maryland and Virginia could receive up to 2-3 inches of rain by Tuesday morning. Last month, a complicated flooding in West Virginia killed 26 people and destroyed about 1000 homes.

Repper stated that the West Coast would stay clear although the Seattle area could present some light rain, this is not expected to last. There is a probability of rain in parts of the West, including Denver and Salt Lake City, the Great Plains and the South, but nothing significant is expected for Monday. The light rain forecast mostly holds for Texas and Oklahoma, Repper added, although Florida and Georgia could also see some rain.

West Virginia flooding

Non-stoping rain left people in West Virginia with the worst flooding that the state has seen for over 100 years on July 24. Government authorities joined forces to ensure security after the tragedy.

People were compelled to spend the night at a local mall after a bridge that connects the facility to the mainland collapsed, leaving them with no other option but to stay and wait. The river rose during the afternoon and washed away the damaged construction and the rescue teams were able to get the people out.

The last time that the weather caused similar damages in the state was about ten years ago, although the destruction was not of such impact compared to the one last month. After the storm and the state of emergency had passed, people gathered in the residential areas to pay respect for those who did not make it.

Source: USA Today