As Americans prepared to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial — its 250th birthday — a punishing heatwave swept the eastern United States, upending plans from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia.
In Philadelphia, organizers canceled the centerpiece Independence Day parade entirely, scrapping more than 50 marching bands and about 20 floats. In Washington, the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, a key piece of President Donald Trump’s efforts to mark the milestone, was also disrupted by the sweltering conditions.
The heat posed not just logistical challenges but genuine health risks, forcing cities across the region to scale back or cancel outdoor events that had been months in the planning.
