Heat and severe storms damper July Fourth celebrations, leave hundreds of thousands without power

Deadly storms and a heat wave marred America's 250th birthday for swathes of the United States, leaving hundreds of thousands of utility customers without power.

Millions of Americans across the Northeast experienced record-setting temperatures — thunderstorms in the Midwest downed trees, ruptured power lines and made transportation treacherous and complicated across multiple states.

Storms trigger power outages amid intense heat wave

A vicious storm struck the New York area late Friday, leaving hundreds of thousands of utility customers without power in the middle of a heat wave. The mercury hit a sweltering 98 degrees in Central Park Friday, CBS New York reported.

Atlantic City, New Jersey, set its highest temperature for July at 105 degrees, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said Saturday.

The high heat in the region helped fuel storms that produced wind gusts of up to 70 mph in places like Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Trains to New Jersey were canceled or delayed, and hundreds of trees were damaged or uprooted.

Combined with the Midwest storms, nearly 1 million residents were left powerless. By noon Saturday, about 750,000 utility customers were powerless in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and New Jersey.

Hundreds of crew members from 12 states and Canada were on their way to Michigan on Saturday afternoon to help expedite restoration, CBS Detroit reported.

Severe weather forces some cities to cancel fireworks 

The storms that rolled through the Midwest and Northeast on Friday led multiple cities to cancel holiday festivals and reschedule fireworks displays.

Mayor Frank Velez in Belleville, New Jersey, rescheduled them for next year, telling residents: "While we're disappointed we couldn't celebrate together tonight, your safety will always come first."

Annapolis, Maryland, home of the U.S. Naval Academy, saw its July Fourth celebrations altered by the weather. The city announced its parade as well as a performance by the Naval Academy Electric Brigade band were canceled due to expected thunderstorms in addition to the extreme heat.

Philadelphia's Salute to Independence Parade on Friday was canceled due to extreme heat.

Weather also forced temporary evacuations on Saturday evening at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which is hosting the Freedom 250 Fourth of July celebrations.

"A severe thunderstorm is occurring near the National Mall," D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management said. "Seek shelter immediately. Do not wait. Follow instructions from event staff and public safety officials on site."

Earlier, a 79-year-old woman experienced a heat-related emergency at the "Salute to America 250 Celebration & Fireworks" and was transported to a local hospital, according to the National Special Security Event Joint Information Center.

Organizers of the Freedom 250 celebrations in Washington, D.C., issued a statement on Saturday saying they are "actively monitoring weather conditions," but festivities are expected to continue. However, D.C.'s America's Independence Day Parade, slated for Saturday morning, was canceled due to extreme heat. 

"Despite the heat, which isn't as bad as predicted, the crowds in D.C. are INCREDIBLE! The love of our Country has never been stronger!" President Trump said Saturday in a post on social media.

The president is expected to deliver remarks at the event at about 9:45 p.m. Eastern Time.

On Friday, D.C. Fire & EMS said there were 45 patient contacts and 16 patient transports at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, which temporarily closed due to extreme temperatures, but it was unclear how many calls were heat-related.

Washington also set a record for its all-time warmest low temperature at 84 degrees, the weather service said. 
By noon on July Fourth, temperatures there and across parts of the Northeast were already soaring back toward triple digits.

3 children die in Wisconsin after boat capsized amid storm

Extreme weather turned a holiday weekend pleasure outing into a nightmare for a family in Wisconsin after their boat capsized on Geneva Lake during a storm, authorities said. Three children died. 

Six adults and a child were rescued from the water, but three children recovered from the lake after an intensive search were unresponsive to exhaustive lifesaving measures administered as soon as they were found, police said. A source that spoke to CBS News Chicago said the three victims are believed to all be under the age of 13.

Officials confirmed that all four children on board were wearing life jackets, police added.

As the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency investigated the Geneva Lake tragedy, the city's police department issued a statement blaming it on a "sudden and severe storm" that rapidly produced hazards for boats.

It said a privately owned recreational motorboat carrying 10 occupants, including four children, tried to race to safety before it was overwhelmed by severe wind and waves. As it took on water, it eventually capsized and sank, the release said.

After the storm, Lake Geneva Mayor Todd Krause declared an emergency and said one person suffered minor injuries after being struck by a falling tree while downed power lines and trees blocked some streets.