again, will the rain hold off for the fireworks in the mall and around the d.c. metro area? we'll revisit that and my full forecast in just a few minutes. >> thank you, gary. >>> meantime, people across the region are cleaning up from the violent storm that swept through the area last night and the most severe damage in arlington. trees fell over on cars and hopes and thousands without power. sherri ly has the latest tonight. >> reporter: the national weather service estimates the winds in arlington were between 60 and 70 miles an hour. powerful enough to take down 100ier ole trees like -- 100- year-old trees like this smashing cars and this is a sampling of the damage. the sound of chainsaws instead of fireworks hit the air before the 4th of july. >> and i saw the tops of trees being blown off. >> reporter: a tree pierced the robert's roof and smashed the jeep grand cherokee judgment my wish was left -- left our driveway here, otherwise she would have been dead also. >> reporter: the wind split open the white oak, one of the oldest in arlington crashing through their dining

some folks are swapping a trip to the national mall for a trip to the shopping mall. there are some great deals. we are live with more on the shoppers who are out on this holiday. >> you might think of the christmas shopping senior -- season or the after thanksgiving as the biggest time to head to the store but spending in the green on the 4th of july is a great way to spend it. >> these people are opting to go to the shopping mall as opposed to the national mall. >> we have done it before. it is hot and muggy and too many people. >> plus the stores are offering savings. he is not alone. some are searching for the sweet deals. others like anne alvarez are taking part in a year the ritual. >> clothing, shoes clothes for going to the beach. and >> but it was beach-like temperatures that folks were trying to escape. >> is clean and nice and relaxing. it is fun. >> it was the heat and humidity that drove his family to the mall. he gave the kids a chance to cool off while mom was shopping. >> those shoppers are actually helping out uncle sam. the latest retail numbers show

if you are going down to the mall, have an umbrella with you. night, though, and after that, we should have the storms dissipating. tomorrow back to work and partly cloudy. not very humid. up near 90 during the afternoon. more humid on wednesday and thursday. could get storms on wednesday afternoon. highs near 90 wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday, and sunday. might get more storms friday. and over the weekend only a very small chance during the afternoon. check the weather any time, weather channel on cable. check the traffic with danella. hi. >>> traveling here in d.c., i still have that report of an accident westbound florida avenue shutting down all of your lanes. this is right at third street northwest. i also hear from rhode island avenue is blocked at that intersection as well. so be careful as you're making your way. live look right now the american legion bridge looking good at the beltway in maryland and virginia. smoo smooth ride for you as we check out the key bridge. smooth ride for you as well as we head down 395 north of duke st

everything died out when it got to the mall. e was one little cluster of thunderstorms coming in from the north and northwest out of western pennsylvania, but with the setting sun, we're cooling, everything's a little bit more stable, the showers and thunderstorms are greatly diminishing and quite rapidly too over the next probably hour or so. just some clouds overnight. once we get rid of lingering showers, mid-60s for the suburbs, 72 in town overnight tonight. full work week forecast. i hate to say that. coming up in just a minute. >> we've already started the work week here, gary. >>> last night's severe weather is to blame for a death in montgomery county. a falling tree killed a man riding his bike. it happened near mile marker 33 between white's ferry and edward's ferry. he was here on a two-day bike trip with a companion. >>> kroousz are working to restore powers to about 2,000 customers in virginia after a violent storm passed through last night, toppling power lines and trees. sherri ly has the latest on the damage. >> r

news 4's megan mcgrath joins us live from the mall this morning. good morning, megan. >> reporter: good morning, joe. we're expecting a huge crowd for all of the festivities that are taking place today. as you've heard tom say, there is the chance of some rain later on this afternoon, possibly some lightning associated with some of those storms. we've got our fingers crossed. we're hoping it's not going to happen. if it does, everyone who's familiar with how this works, they will clear the area, no matter how many people are out here on the national mall. police will begin to move folks into the museums and other locations to get them out of harm's way. take a look at that video from yesterday. they had some hairy moments up on capitol hill. a lot of people came out to see the dress rehearsal for the concerts last night. unfortunately, the timing was terrible. just as that was occurring, that storm, that violent storm blew through the area. there was lightning associated with it, and they had to evacuate people. they actually lost some trees on the

. >> many of them will be at the national mall and the u.s. capital -- capitol for all events leading up to the firework display. the big preparations, hope there no one is there yet surae, but who knows. >> reporter: we are ready for a big celebration. happy 4th of july, everyone. people are probably sleeping in, but you to prepare once you get here to the national mall. here's what you can bring, you want to bring your cooler with your food and water, plenty to drink. speaking of, drink plenty of it today, because as howard said, temperatures in the 90s. you don't want to forget sunglasses, and andrea, the fan has come in handy this summer. you will need it today. if you follow those rules, you can have a good time, celebrating, come earlly and mark your spot. the show at 9:10 exactly, going on for 17 minutes, and also, here's what you don't want to bring. you can't bring alcohol on the national mall. no glass bottles, pets, or grills. if you follow those rules, you'll have a good time celebrating. >> i'm expecting big fireworks, bigger than

that's right at the time people will be gathering on the mall. that's the time, unfortunately, of the big concert on the mall, the capitol, as well as the big fireworks display. they may be interrupted bypassing thunderstorms and then partly cloudy after midnight tonight. tuesday partly cloudy and still not too humid. afternoon highs around 90. getting more humid on wednesday, might get storms then, and hot and humid on thursday, friday, saturday, and sunday. now let's check traffic. danella, how's it looking? >> we are looking great. >>> this is a great time to travel, if only the sun was up and you didn't have to be up this early, i would suggest being on the road right now. look at this. this is 270 in clarksburg. 270, it's a great ride for you north and south as you're traveling this morning. heading over, this is the beltway in virginia at robinson terminal. i can tell you that beltway, inner loop and outer loop in virginia have no incidents to report for you as you make your way right now. this is 66 at sully road. sully road east and west,

dress rehearsal for the capitol 4th concert what to expect today weather wise. >>> then live on the mall with what you need to know if you are planning to head down there to watch the big fireworks show and concert tonight. >>> tomorrow congress comes back early from vacation are they making progress on this looming debt deadline. fox 5 morning news continues at 7 right now. >>> what a beautiful picture a live lookout doors on this 4th of july morning. a gorgeous shot looked better than last night when mother nature put on her own show. we are not totally in the clear today good morning i am tony perkens in for steve. >> i am alison seymour good morning for you. yesterday's storms turned deadly a 56-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on him riding his bike near mile marker 33 near maryland. >> arlington virginia some residents will spend their holiday cleaning up homes, yards, cars were covered with trees, branches and other debris that came down last night in the storms. >>> in the district the national mall had to be e evacuated thousands were there to watch the dress rehearsal.

thousands will gather on the mall to celebrate the 4th capital style and as tisha thompson shows us, it's a tough party to get into. >> reporter: one day before the big show, robbie matthew and his wife grappled with a map to try to plan their 4th of july. >> we are trying to find out what we have to do and what time. >> reporter: the couple flew in from the caribbean to see the parade, the concert and the fireworks. >> a lot is happening. >> please take public transportation, if at all possible. >> reporter: superintendent john james said don't even think about driving. take metro. but be prepared to walk. because the smithsonian station will be closed. >> i'm going to avoid the mall like the plague. >> reporter: just the thought of it -- is enough to keep locals like jessie away. >> the crowd and metro is insane. there is like 4 million people trying to get back on the metro at same time. >> make a day of it. >> reporter: but others say they are going to stake out their spot early. >> we are going to sit probably in the grass around one of the monuments. >> reporter: if you are pla

without the tourists. >> reporter: the skies darkened, lightning flashed, the winds started howling. malloers started running for cover. from the safety of our live truck, we rode out the worst of the storm. it was a pounding rain, intense for nearly half an hour. in the city, we saw this traffic light knocked down. later, outside jane olmsted's home in arlington, a mess of tree branches. inside, no power. >> i heard and felt the pop of that tree going, and i was in my kitchen where that big window is. i hot footed it into the hall fast as i could go. it missed my car. >> reporter: a night of fireworks this year on the 3rd of july. this year just one example of the many power issues in northern virginia tonight. as for that dress rehearsal for the fourth of july concert on the mall, it went on as planned, but without an audience. police deciding to close the west front of the u.s. capitol tonight as a precaution, because of our uncertain weather. in arlington, virginia, bob barnard, fox five news. >>> staying on that theme, thousands of people are expected on the national mall tomorrow. t

around the mall, is fine there. anything that really gets going will be well to the south of washington. partly cloudy. captioned by the national captioning institute [ male announcer ] we are americans. we know right from wrong. and we know the ads blaming president obama for the economy are politics at its worst. the republicans have opposed economic reforms at every turn. and now they have a plan that would essentially end medicare for future retirees... slash education... while giving huge tax breaks to big oil and the wealthy. we can't rebuild america if they tear down the middle class. priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertising.

public access to the mall itself is going to begin at about 10:00 a.m. that is when folk will be allowed into the secure entrances. u.s. park service is recommending that people do not drive if they are. coming down to the festivities. they are encouraging people to take metro. here is what you need to know about metro if you plan on coming down to the mall. it will be open from 7:00 a.m. to midnight. the smithsonian station is going to be closed but will reopen for entry only after the fireworks so just keep that in mind. metro will have six and eight- car trains in order to get the flow of people out of here as quickly as they can. another thing to keep in puget sound for safety reasons. metro says most of the escalators or man of them will actually be off. keep that in mind. you may end up doing a lot more walking. some other information that you need to know if you are coming down here, what can you bring being what you cannot bring. they are telling people you cannot bring grills, no alcohol, no glass bottles. also no personal fireworks. here is the

live on the national mall. if you don't feel like fighting with the clouds on the mall, there's other places to see the fireworks. it's recommended at north burlington point in arlington. you can also join in on the marine corp. at arlington. you can always go to the rooftop at the hyatt hotel. you learn more by visiting metromix.com. it's on or front page, and we will see the festivities at 6:08. >>> unfortunately this morning, thousands of people in our area are dealing without electricity. that means on this hot morning, no air-conditioning. >> the power was knocked out after the line of storms moved through at 6:30 last night. >> right now dominion has 7600 customers without power. petco just over 1200. and pge, 1600. arlington, virginia, appears to have gotten hit the hardest. power lines and trees came down to the yorktown and chesterton neighborhoods. people there have never seen anything like this. >> in the 10 years i have lived here, this was the most violent storm. the wind had the trees literally ben

what will happen, is if we have inclement weather, we can get everyone off the mall and into various museums and federal buildings. we haven't done this in several years and they will be in good directions from the officers on the team, message bores and some loudspeakers. we can career the national mall in 20 minutes or so. >> they will open up the government buildings if it's too dangerous to be out here. and that is looking like a lot of fun. >>> police on horseback, bicycles, foot patrol and plain clothes are keeping close watch tonight on the national paul. paul wagner has those details. >> ever since 9/11, security is tight and when osama bin laden was killed a few months ago, they decided to take it up a march. it's saturated from the capitol to the lincoln memorial. earlier, we found a family from indiana who thought twice before coming here for the form. >> what was it that concerns you? >> ing. i'm a worry ward. i worry about everything and there is tops of officers. >> reporter: they came here from indiana to enjoy everything. and we found them waiting in line for security

public access to the mall is not going to begin until 10:00 this morning. so people will able to get in. a lot of the locals that we have talked about -- or talked with have said they would stay away from here. if any of you do plan on going, the u.s. park serve us says they really emphasize they do not want people to drive. they want folk to take metro. so here is what you need to know about metro if you plan on. coming down here. it is opening at 7:00 a.m. it is open 7:00 a.m. to mid night. the smithsonian station which is down here is expected to be closed most. day and will reopen for entry only after the fireworks in order to get the floods of people out of here. metro will run six and eight- car trains and for safety reasons, many of the escalators will actually intentionally be shut off. they will not be running. so keep that in mind. you will be doing a lot more walking coming out of the metro stop. what to bring or not to bring. no grills, no alcohol, no glass bottles down here and also, of course, no personal fireworks for your safety. however, if

the storms just missed the mall last night. now in the low to mid-70s south and east of washington. mid-70s in washington. farther west and north, it's in the 60s this morning. out in the mountains of western maryland, west virginia, low 60s now. eastern shore, low and mid-70s. there are all those storms that passed just south of washington overnight. now they're heading out to sea and tending to break up. behind that, we're getting the sky beginning to clear out. there's a live picture from the skywatcher camera on the left of your screens. northern fairfax county in the distance. off to the right, in the four ground, the urban forest of washington and friendship heights. around the region by 9:00, near 80. by noontime, mid-80s. during the afternoon, up around 90, moderate humidity. a lot of code orange for unhealthy air quality by midafternoon. we'll take a look at the night planner by 6:41. danella, how's the traffic looking? >>> we still have some congestion right here. this is 270 south, making your way out of urbana headin

the mall. that's where news 4's melissa mollet joins us live this morning with everything you need to know to have a great time. melissa, good morning. >> reporter: that's right. good morning. definitely people are down here gearing up for the national mall fourth of july celebration. things start here at 10:00 a.m. on monday, and at 3:00 if you're going to the grounds of the u.s. capitol for events there. there will be a security checkpoint there, but once you get through that checkpoint, you can use any available space, they say, on a first come, first served basis. if you're coming to the mall where we are this morning, you will have to enter through one of the 15 designated access points. we're going to have a full list of those access points for you at nbcwashington.com. something else to remember, of course, the smithsonian metro stop will be closed all day. they will only open on monday from 10:30 p.m. to midnight to help folks here get back home. another reminder, no grills, no alcohol

>> traffic is sure to pick up again tonight as folks head out for the capital 4th celebration on the mall, and, of course, the fireworks. news4's derrick ward is live for us in southeast d.c. to show us one of the best viewing spots in the whole city. derrick? >> reporter: indeed we are. take a look here. we are in the parking lot of our lady of perpetual help catholic church off morris road, and, of course, this is indeed one of the best viewing spots in town. now, you remember the battle hymn of the republic, the line, the watch fires of the hundred circling camps? this was one of those camps, gun placements overlooking the city, guarding it from invasion. later on this evening, as nightfall, eyes will be turned towards the city. but not to fire anything, but to watch the fireworks. you can actually see the tip of the washington monument here, more than the tip, you can even see alexandria. so if there are fireworks going on, you'll be able to take them in, as well as anything happening on the horizon. people have been coming here for years, for some an old tradition and for some, start

for the mall. u can see the latest storm picture and you can also send your own pictures by e-mail. you can be a superstar. >>> honey, why aren't you playing with your friends? i am playing with my friends. hey, mrs. d... joseph? sarah! it's mommy's turn now. let's go. [ male announcer ] the average home has over four internet-connected devices. we were gonna storm the castle. i love your hair. [ sarah ] thanks i went to your guy. it's perfect. i thought we were storming the castle. [ male announcer ] that's why you need the internet rated #1 for supporting multiple users and devices simultaneously. verizon os. a network ahead. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-tty/v. >>> prince william and kate are continuing their trip in canada. later in the day wilson delivered a speech in french at a ceremony at city hall can about 200 protesters showed up for that event. >>> no protesters at the nationals game. but there was some unease. >> more troubles on the field today. we

and look under hot topics. >> more than 1 million people will visit the national mall this weekend. there is plenty to see. the big draw is the smithsonian folk-like festival. paul rafael gives a look at what makes this question popular. >> reporter: thousands of people descended on the national mall. it's the smithsonian life festival, 45 years strong. the event is held for two weeks every summer, overlapping with the 4th of july holiday. this year's festival includes three unique programs. >> one program features the cultural traditions of colombia and looking at communities throughout colombia and the way they work with nature to express their culture. another program we're presenting is on rhythm and blues and the third presents the peace corpses for the 50th anniversary. >> reporter: there was something for everyone where, it's food or live music like this and to get your groove on. sure, there is plenty of locals in the crowd but this festival is known for attracting visitors from all over the world. >> where are you from? >> new york. >> colombia. >> india. >> chattanooga, ten

>> go to the mall or public display and observe the fireworks there.ey have to have fireworks, be came. hopefully they'll have children who are over 15 at the minimum, light the fireworks. make sure they have something to extinguish the fireworks if necessary on hand. and beware of illegal fireworks. purchase them from a reputable dealer. you can check their license. >> this has to be a big night for the fire department. are you adding additional people working with police? >> we will have some of our investigators out all night, looking for any discharge of illegal fireworks. we want to thank the metropolitan police department for assisting us in that. >> you said to have something nearby to extinguish if something should occur. >> millions of dollars of damage occur each year because of fireworks. fortunately in washington, d.c. we haven't had major incidents. >> fires do occur and injuries as well. it's my understanding nationally, it's typically kiddos who are hurt. what do you know about that? >> we know generally the injuries occur with children

so should you pack an umbrella to the national mall? let's get to howard who joins us with the forecast first. >>> it all depends how early you get there because we have a threat for a few showers and storms this afternoon. i think by 9:00 for the fireworks we should be in better shape. right now looking at temperatures throw mid-80s. but 70s in the mountains with a bit of thicker clouds. we were sitting at 85. last night storms of there they go but today we were watching a bunch of showers in ohio toward wheeling, west virginia. south of pittsburgh. these are moving east, southeast. if they can hold together over the mountains give them another four or five hours and you see what's going to happen here even toward 6:00, 7:00. we could have showers and storms. as we look at the future cast i will have to tied in with the temperatures. 3:00not too bad. mostly cloudy. 89 degrees here. 86 in annapolis. out to the west part of the shenandoah valley may be looking at storms. 5:00looking at heavier storms in western maryland and west virginia.

i hope nobody is headed to the mall already. >> i seriously doubt it, tuck. e roads pretty empty right now. light volume for the holiday which is good news. there are some aftereffects from yesterday's storms. let's take a live look out there. very light volume 95 northbound as you head up through woodbridge notch problems crossing the occoquan and continuing up towards lorton and newington. mixing bowl looks good as well as 395. 66 passing nutley street. nice, open road, smooth trip as you head in from route 50 fair oaks all the way towards the beltway. nothing to report on 270. looking good out of frederick down toward the split in bethesda. we have a wreck new york avenue outbound at the washington times plant. also some police activity, potomac avenue at 18th street in southeast. that's a check of your fox 5 on-time traffic. >> thank you. >>> congress is cutting short its holiday week to continue work on the debt ceiling. but the parties are still very far apart and state governors who manage to make big cuts to their budgets weigh in on the problems with

we could have a rain-free fourth of july fireworks here on the mall. reporting live, i'm armando trull. >> armando, thank you. metro is providing extra fourth of july rail service tonight, but you should know that the smithsonian station is closed so you'll want to use other stations if you plan to head to the mall. they will reopen after the fireworks show and that is scheduled to conclude around 9:30 tonight. tonight's fireworks could be the only light that some folks in arlington will see because crews are busy trying to restore power to residents of the yorktown and chesterbrook neighborhoods. this after sunday's fast moving storm. delia is live off of north gleeve road to bring us the latest. how are things getting back to normal, delia? >> there has been progress made, but it's a mess. 24 hours after the storm hit and you can see a number of crews are here trying to restore power to about 3200 households in arlington county, many of those residents live just a couple blocks away. >> the chaos. >> the sleeping six month old double know it, but his

but we'll start down on the national mall. they're setting up for the fourth of july festivities. >> reporter: the mall has been bustling with the energy. and you can feel it down here. everyone says being here on the mall on the forth of july is monumental. you see the stage behind me by the capital. that is where artists like steve martin and little richard will perform. beside having fun, safety is a priority. so on a hot and sunny day, that means staying cool. so wear a hat if you have one, wearing loose fitting clothes and bringing plenty of h2o and you got to drink your water and stay hydrated. >> reporter: let's start with your commute. the traffic is sure to be and all nightmare. arriving early means a long day. thankfully, a lot of porta- potties will line the mall. avoid the long lines that are sure to be at the concession stand and bring some food for the whole day. and since it will be a hot one, bring enough water to last you. the reflective pool not living up to its name these days. 1400 pounds of pyrotechnics wil

. >>> in the district, the annual 4th of july celebration on the national mall. the concert has stars like matthew morrison and chelsea hightower. . >> it is the big 20th anniversary. we are doing a rumba to jordan sparks singing a song from beauty and the beast. >> the show will be at 9:00 tonight. here's a few other things to know. no alcohol is allowed. leave the grills, pets, and glass bottles at home. as far as getting there, the best way is public transportation, and if you're going to the mall, leave this morning if you want a good seat. we have a full list of activities including all of those dos and don'ts for the mall on wusa9.com. >>> german town man is charged with murdering. police say brandon dashiell and justin carter got into a fight on the back deck of carter's home during a family gathering. carter was taken to the hospital where he later died. dashiell is charged with second- degree murder. >>> police in georgia believe the dismembered remains they found on thursday are those of laurel giddings from maryland. steven mcdaniel is in custody as a p

going to be okay, and that includes those of you heading out towards the mall. let's take a look right now. you can see the capitol building off in the distance. we are going phosphorus a very warm and humid night for it. maybe a few showers, but i expect most of the overnight hours, most of the next couple of hours leading up to the fireworks to be dry. so it is looking very nice for us. but that was not the case last night. severe storms moved through the capital region, and, of course, the mall. this will not be the case tonight. we saw some winds upwards of 60 miles per hour come through portions of the region last night. and there were severe thunderstorm warnings associated with those storms. out there right now, 88 degrees the current temperature with a heat index of 90. humidity around 45%. so it is a little bit on the assumed side. 88 in frederick, maryland. 84 in sterling. manassas coming in at 82 degrees. here is the current radar. you do see showers down to the south around dale city, just to the north of fredricksburg. these are very light showers. y

so the national mall, i think, 80 degrees. yes, we'll have to say a storm possible. k that will stay well to our south. i think we're going to get the fireworks off a-okay. i don't think we'll see any problems there. but if you're going down now, you may want to take an umbrella just in case you see a shower out there. tomorrow, we'll see that frontal boundary move further south, so our chance of storms moves south. but they come right back up during the day on wednesday. and that's kind of what we're going to see in week. partly 66 to 71 as you make your way into tomorrow morning. tomorrow afternoon, mostly sunny with clouds making their way in the afternoon. looking dry. the best chance, really the only chance of rain will stay to our south. temperatures tomorrow right around 90 degrees. we'll stick around 90 on wednesday and on thursday. drop just a little bit into the upper 80s friday, but still rather hot and humid with a 30% to 40% chance of showers. and coming up on friday, we've got a good one this week. our backyard weather, we want to come out to your backya

we should tell you most of the roads around the mall are reopening. the very large cleanup effort is underway. everything will be back to normal for the back-to-work commute tomorrow morning. kris van cleave, abc 7 news. >> good news, in addition to those festivities many communities celebrated the fireworks of their own. >> we were at the events across the region. one of the largest fireworks displays was at the south side park in vienna. >> in fairfax county, a lot of people came out for their annual celebration. it was a busy day of activities. hundreds of people enjoy the annual parade. >> to the south at this bright display over the centennial olympic park in atlanta -- look at this bright display over the centennial olympic park in atlanta. it featured a former "american idol" runner-up. >> the night turned violent in baltimore's inner harbor. a young boy was stabbed three or four times during the festivities. his condition is not known at this hour. we will keep you posted. >>> breaking news -- a man is fighting for his life after nearly drownin

elaine reyes is down on the mall with us. elaine, looks like the rain has stopped and they're getting ready for a party. >> it's getting a little steamy out here, aaron. but what do you think of names like josh groban, steve martin, matthew morris so from glee or mark from "dancing with the stars". they are all headlining a concert tomorrow night before the fireworks show on the west lawn of the capitol. if you want to miss the crowds tomorrow, you can come out today. they're going to be rehearsing starting later on this afternoon and this evening. so you can get a sneak peek of what's to come without the crowds. now, the finishes touches for tomorrow's capitol fourth are well under way. whether you're looking for a spot on the west lawn for that concert or on the national mall, you can expect checkpoints all over the place. and all bags to get checked and searched. these are just some of the security measures that you will see. but there are plenty of others that you won't. >> the greatest amount of security is that which you

that's what it takes to clear the national mall. the big crowds now probably on metro trains, people going home right now. let me show you what folks really came for, a spectacular fireworks display every single year. it started at 9:10 this evening and lasted about 20 minutes. the majority of the people gathered on the grass between the washington monument and the reflecting pool in front of the lincoln memorial. just a melting pot of people attending. not just locals but people from all over the world and this is a major draw for tourists. >> i like it very much. i'm russian. i want to say. [speaking foreign language] >> what does that mean? >> i think it's so fantastic and incredible to be here with my kids and relatives from canada. >> i think it's amazing. >> it's great. and it's really, really colorful and i love it. . >> reporter: it was an all-day affair for folks. everyone had to pass through security. bags, purses, you name it, coolers, they were all quickly inspected. you couldn't bring alcohol or anything that could be co

tom sherwood is live for us along the national mall with the latest on all that. hey, tom. >> reporter: hey, aaron. the first thing, somebody just walked by and said why don't you take off that tie? so don't expect to see this tie in the 6:00 show. as usual, these days people coming down this weekend monday night for the fireworks will have some light security to go through to get on to the mall. but the big no-no of course is no alcohol. lots of people already here, and this holiday weekend has begun. ♪ >> reporter: the rhythm and blues tent was a featured attraction at the folk life festival which opened on the mall today. ♪ the beginning of the july 4th weekend which will climax with monday night's fireworks spectacular. >> we came to town with about 14,000 pounds of explosives packaged into more than 2500 deluxe aerial bombs with some of those containing as many as 30 individual munitions. >> reporter: and the good thing about this year's folk life festival, it's in the shade under the trees. all this shade around. you're sitting in the sun. >> well, i rotate

on the national mall tens of thousands run for cover as tree branches, barriers, even porta-johns topple. the heavy wind and rain brought fourth of july festivities to a screeching halt, and tonight we're learning that storm also took a life. good sunday. i'm craig melvin. we got word of that death a short time ago. that man was killed by a falling tree limb along the cno canal tow path in the poolsville area of montgomery county. we're told the 56-year-old man was riding his bike when the tree limb fell on him. he was pronounced dead at the scene. at this point officials are not releasing his name. we will of course pass along more information just as soon as it becomes available. >>> meanwhile, hordes of people celebrating the independence day weekend, and there on the national mall they were caught right in the middle of those storms. officials had to rush to evacuate the area. derek ward was there as well. he's live at the u.s. capitol tonight. derek, what's the word? >> reporter: well, i can tell you now that the rehearsal did get started again after those storms blew through, and i

many for tomorrow's capitol 4th concert at the national mall. you can go down and catch the rehearsal today. get your pen ready. 10:00 a.m., mathew morrison and kelly o'hare will practice, 11:15 a.m., josh grow bin. >> steve martin. broadway cast of million dollar quartet and 5:10 p.m., jordan sparks then a full concert dress rehearsal, 8 to 10:30 p.m. tonight, west lawn of the capitol. >> going down to the national lawn tomorrow national parks service is urging you to take met owe trains will run 7:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. smithsonian station will be closed moat of the day. but you can use it to go home for more where to find entry points go to myfoxdc.com click on our home page under hot topics. >> capitol 4th are not the only attraction at the mall the folk life festival is up and running. a closer look what make this is free festival so popular. >>> thousands of people descended on the national mall, sicilian folk life festival it is held two weeks every summer overlapping with the 4th of july holiday. >> one program features cultural traditions

thanks, doug. >>> the weather is cooperating for crowds already converging on the mall today. a big spectacular fireworks show planned for monday night. thousands around the country celebrating in the days before. and tom sherwood is out there, soaking it all in. tom? >> reporter: yes, i'd like to point out without a tie. in the 5:00 show, some guy game by and said why are you wearing a tie out here? to honor whoever that was, i took it off. anyway, thousands of people. none of them wearing ties, are already showing up here on the national mall for the big fourth of july weekend. ♪ these philippine dancers were a friday feature at the folk life festival which opened on the mall today. the beginning of the july 4th weekend that will climax with monday night's fireworks spectacular. >> we came to town with about 14,000 pounds of explosives, packaged into more than 2500 deluxe air quall bombs with some of those containing as many as 30 individual munitions. >> reporter: it's the fourth of july, but a new national poll says 25% of americans don't know what country america broke awa

there's no bigger celebration and down on the national mall. the crowds are beginning to form. brie and carter is live with what visitors need to know. >> absolutely. we already have a growing crowd of thousands out here, gathering near the washington monument and also along constitution avenue, where we just saw the parade make its way by us. the good news for these thousands so far is that is just overcast, no rain. people have traveled near and far to be part of these fourth of july festivities. the patriotic parade of visitors filled the nation's capital this morning with a sea of red white, and blue. >> it is a unique opportunity to be here for an event like this. >> people watched the national parade make its way-in -- down the national avenue. this holiday holds special meaning for all who serve. >> it reminds us of our independence that we gain and with his shoulders 54. >> to mark the nation's 235th birthday he plans to take in all the festivities. >> we came here early. >> including the main event. fireworks and the concert at the capitol. this year, another star-stud

people are encouraged to take transportation to the mall. you can expect that your bags e checked the entrance points on the mall. still to come, dramatic closing casey anthonyhe murder trial. a deadly accident involving a pedestrian in prince george's county. how a police officer played a role. >> police are investigating a deadly accident. this happened at about midnight. investigators believe that the victim had been drinking. he was hit by two cars. one was driven by a woman, the duty policen off- officer. the officer called for an ambulance. the victim was pronounced dead the scene. word on what caused an accident this morning. a driver ran off the road and a wooded area. the driver was taken to a local hospital for treatment. the highway was closed for hours police investigated the scene. honey, why aren't you playing with your friends? i am playing with my friends. hey, mrs. d... joseph? sarah! it's mommy's turn now. let's go. [ male announcer ] the average home has over four iinternet-connected device weere gonna storm the cae le. i l

this stuff really works. >>> we are live on the mall with the security measures down there. we're reknow there are terrorists out there that want to destroy our celebration. and while the police say they're not accounting on a spec threat, they're beefing up security. -- a specific threat, they're beefing up the security. the williams from l.a. in town for a family reunion and a national celebration. >> i'm expecting big fireworks, a lot bigger than they have in california. >> we're expecting a great time, beautiful fireworks. >> reporter: and it is families like the williams that the police are working hard to protect. >> this is a day where every employee of the united states park police are working. >> reporter: they will not tell me how many officers will be on patrol, i know they'll get help from other police from around the region. >> greatest security is that you will not see, a combination of technology and plain clothes officers and lots of enhances ways to improve safety is probably the most robust plan i've ever seen. >> reporter: and em its will keep you -- emts

there go those heavy downpours last night that just missed the mall. now this morning a few lingering sprinkles lower eastern shore and the sky over capitol hill now partly cloudy. our sunrise in about 20 minutes. by 9:00 we'll be near 80 degrees. lots of sunshine and a sunny afternoon, highs reaching near 90 just with moderate humidity. though it is going to be returning as we get into tonight and tomorrow. a look at your night planner coming up in about ten minutes at 5:41. now let's check the back to work traffic. danella sealock, how's it looking? >> it look like commuters are making their way. so far it's a good commute. 66 at compton road. i am seeing some volume heading 66 east. so far i'm checking your speed. you're still traveling at a good speed. it's just there's a lot of you on the road right now. as we head over, i want to show you the american legion bridge is also picking up steam. again, you're still traveling at a good speed. no incidents to report at this time. a look at the rails. metro, marc, and vre all on time. if you're traveling

. >>> it is one of the biggest events of the year on the national mall. the 4th of july celebrations. but a gathering of this magnitude also presents a significant security event as well. this is the first independence day since the raid that captured and killed osama bin laden and that will be adding an extra layer after security concern this year. law enforcement authorities say you may not notice a change in security but behind the scenes, it will be a bit more intense this year. >> security is that which you will not see. a combination of technology and plain clothes officers and lots of enhanced ways to improve safety. >> the mall will be closed for security sweeps from 6:00 until 10:00 on monday morning and then at 10:00 visitors can go through security checkpoints to get on to the mall. >>> fighter jets scramble when a plane flies into restricted airspace with the president. that story coming up. >>> and a warning to beach goers on the outer banks after three people die in the water. >>> and the search for the person who holds the golden lottery tic

police have cordoned off the national mall. you can't just walk up and stake your claim. everyone must pass lou one of the security checkpoints. >> there's going to be difficult levels of searches that may take place. robust security plan in place. a real estate event. >> reporter: and they open those checkpoints at about 10:00 this morning. and there's a little bit of a wait as some of the police officers are going lou some of the items like coolers things and to make sure there is month alcohol or anything that's prohibited. brought on to the grounds here of the washington monument. by and large things are running smoothly. and as the crowd goes and we go on in to the afternoon hours, no doubt it is going to get slower. you are going to have more of a wait. pack light and pack as light as you can. remember to bring some water and to bring food if you are going to be out here a long time. it is going to be a hot one. eric, back to you. >> that's a good point to make. megan mcgrath live for us on the mall. >>> tourists in town for today's independence day celebrations are

on the national mall. you want to head to the capitol for concerts and such, that starts at 3:00 p.m. there will be a security checkpoint there, but once you get through security, you can use any available space on a first come, first served basis. if you are going to the mall, you have to enter through one of 15 designated access points. a list of those points for you at nbcwashington.com. if you're heading down, check that list for sure ahead of time just to make your trip a little bit easier. something else to remember, parking is very limited, of course, down here. they do want you to take mass transit if possible. can tell you the smithsonian metro station will be closed all day so you can't get off there. it will be open from 10:30 to midnight to help get folks home. also, another reminder, no grills, no alcohol, no glass bottles will be allowed on the mall. and, of course, nps officials asking anyone and everyone who comes down here bring plenty of water and dress for the heat. all kinds of events p

we have water all over the mall. we have a first aid tent on the mall.ake it easy and sit down listen to some music and you should be okay. >> these people looking happy from last night or weeks past. how early do you start preparing for the festival ahead? would you start now or on the 12th of july? >> well, the programs are usually a couple of years in the works. >> a couple of year . >> there's a lot of research that goes into them. a lot of field work in the country or in the region. so we're already working several years out at this point. >> all right. well, you've done well in the past and we look forward to this year and the years ahead. >>> our time right now 6:49. more from the stax music academy band from memphis, check them out this morning at 11:00 at the smithsonian folk life festival. ♪ i would surely, surely lose a lot, because your love is better ♪ ♪ than any love i know, ooh, it's like, thunder, lightning, the way you love me is frightening ♪ ♪ i think i better knock on wood, baby ♪ >>> and our forecast looks good today. we are sitting

the strip. i approached miracle mile mall and inquired about the ability to get a store. they said, well, we would be interested except that to open a store anywhere on the strip you have to be an experienced retailer. you need at least one other store. >> typical of many entrepreneurs their lack of experience wasn't going to deflate their dream. so they went back to the mall operator and asked if branding their retro clothing line with a celebrity would compensate for their lack of retail experience. >> they said, maybe. we did some research on 50s inspired fashions. and several names kept coming up one of them of course was marilyn monroe. but another was bettie paige. she was scandalous. she was edgy. and i'm thinking, okay, that's las vegas. >> tatiana, a native of russia and the creative force behind designing and manufacturering the 1950s era clothes hadn't even heard of bettie paige. >> we found lots of interesting information and i really fall in love. that is the perfect name. >> reporter: her name was made famous by hugh hefner when he published a topless photo

that is what's going on on the national mall today. will be bringing tens of thousands of people down here to the 45th annual folk life festival. there's all sorts of concerts, demonstrations, workshop and most importantly food. this year the free celebration features columbian culture, the accomplishments of the peace corps, and a look at the history of rhythm and blues. it's not to be missed. however,s as the temperatures hit the 90s, it's very important to wear light clothing, to hydrate, and here are other things the experts had to say. >> keep in mind that heat stress can kill. we've been fortunate on the mall to keep everybody safe. we have had incidents of heat stress and we've got help taken care of and we want to keep it that way. >> of course the best thing possibly for all of us will happen on the fourth. the best activity that happens down here despite the folk life festival which is fantastic. and that is the capital fourth celebration with the fireworks that everyone waits for every year. this year, the capital fourth wil

. >>> plus what you need to know before heading to the national mall for the fireworks and check out some of the other stories in our rundown tonight. we will be back in just 60 seconds. >> this is fox 5 news edge at 11:00.  >>> prince george's county executive rushern baker is calling on councilwoman leslie johnson to resign following her guilty plea yesterday on corruption charges. baker was on wtop radio today explaining why he believes johnson need to step down. >> in the best interests of the county i think it's time for us to put this chapter behind us and the best way to do that is for her to resign from her seat and allow us to go ahead with the special election which is going to happen, you know. it's going to happen. so it's better to have it now. >> johnson was elected to the council before her arrest last november. prosecutors are asking for 12 to 18 months of jail time for her. her husband, former prince george's county executive jack johnson, pleaded guilty to extortion, conspiracy and witness and evidence tampering last month. each count carrie

. >>> we have an update now on a developing story on the national mall. the washington monument is open again, and that elevator is back in service. the elevator inside the monument got stuck about 500 feet in the air trapping 16 people inside. firefighters managed to keep the elevator to the ground and get everyone out safely. however a few dozen tourists still at the top of the monument had to walk down 50 flights of stairs of stairs to get out. >>> the start of a three-day weekend for many of you, which means plenty of traffic headed to the beach. this is a live look at the chesapeake bay bridge, the toll booth there. you can see all of these cars lined up waiting to get over the bridge tonight. traffic is a nightmare. let's hope the weather won't be. we're here to let you know what we can expect for the rest of the forecast. gary? >> they know going into that that they're going to have to sit and wait. but so nice out there. loads of sunshine today. let me show you true view, because it pretty much is wide open to the west. you see that clusters of blu

call but did not come close enough to bring rain to all of the events on the mall with the concert and the fireworks display, everything came off as planned. right now, quite a bit of sunshine throughout most of the region. a few clouds on the lower eastern shore. and through the rest of the afternoon, we'll have lots of sunshine. if you're going to be out for a length of time, you'll definitely need sun block. and by midafternoon with stagnant air, air pollution building, code orange, unhealthy air quality. if you have a heart or respiratory ailment, stay inside this afternoon, as we climb to around 90 degrees by midafternoon. we'll talk about those changes on the way. we'll look at the rest of the week and into the weekend coming up, aaron. >> thanks a lot, tom. >>> a few roads are still closed in arlington, virginia this morning, because of the weekend's strong storms. part of old dominion drive remained closed because of downed trees and wires. meanwhile, dominion power crews had been working around the clock to restore electricity to nearly 2,000 customers in northern virginia. at

. >>> and going to the national mall for the holiday weekend? we have some advice to help you get through the crowds. you're going to need this. >>> and get a taste of international culture in the heart of washington and has been around for nearly 50 years. good to have you with us. i'm will thomas. a mid-day fire consumed an ann a ripple county home. one woman is dead and another victim is in critical condition tonight. it happened on shore road in edgewater. fox 5s stacey cohan is back from the scene and starts us off live in the newsroom. stacy? >> reporter: it was a heartbreaking thing there this afternoon. the neighbors tell a tale of frantically trying to break into a burning home to sea the two women inside. only to be foiled by a wall of smoke. along the quiet tributaries of the south river where a blue heron pausees, the serenity was shattered before 2:00 p.m. that is when jean miller and her husband arrived home. >> i got out of the truck and said i am smelling smoke and burring plastic. >> reporter: they ran into their neighbor's home

the national mall evacuated because of the severe storms going through the area. the entire dc metro area is under a severe thunderstorm warning. storms taking place have been extended many of them until 7:45 p.m. tonight. when we come back we will talk about how long the storms will stick around for. ñ8 >>> britain's favorite royal couple continue their north american tour today. prince william and his bride spent the night on a canadian warship from montreal to quebec this morning joining sailors for a sunday morning church service. their nine-day canadian tour includes seven cities and four provinces and one territory. the royals head to california on july 8th. >>> anny hong is joining us now. awfully busy day. >> a lot of severe thunderstorm warnings in effect for dc, montgomery. until 7:45 p.m. tonight. the severe thunderstorm watch in effect until midnight for the entire area but where you see darker yellow that's the severe thunderstorm warnings. let me list what areas are being impacted right now. we have got the district of columbia severe thunderstorm wa