Crowds Evacuated as Storms Menace Washington Ahead of Trump Speech NYT | Top Stories Campbell Robertson and Aishvarya Kavi 5 July 2026 at 08:51 Thousands of people stood in security lines for hours in severe heat to reach the National Mall, only to be ordered to leave as events were set to start. Some refused. © Doug Mills/The New York TimesThunderstorms headed toward Washington on Saturday evening, forcing evacuations of thousands at the National Mall.