On this Independence Day, millions of Americans are on alert because of severe storms and scorching heat.
Severe weather has already been pummeling the East. North of New York City, residents dealt with high winds and intense rain.
“Oh my goodness, slow down. Slow down!” exclaimed one driver.
In Virginia, the heavy rains made travel conditions dangerous, and in neighboring North Carolina, residents faced strong winds and hail.
Parts of the Midwest also saw heavy rains with close to nine inches drenching some areas.
In Chicago, residents waded through deep water, leaving their cars behind in the flooding.
“I went and then my car just started floating, and I said, ‘Oh snap!,'” explained Katera Fisher, whose car flooded. “So my first reaction is to escape from the car. I opened the door, and water started flooding my feet.”
Lexington, Kentucky, saw high winds and hail as well.
From the East Coast to Missouri, more than 100,000 customers were left in the dark because of widespread power outages.
The Midwest and Plains could face the worst threat today with possible damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.
Out west, more than 30 million people are dealing with heat alerts. Las Vegas climbed to 112 degrees on Monday.
Officials say a woman died while hiking in the Grand Canyon when temperatures reached triple digits.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest, officials issued fire warnings. A wildfire in Washington State torched several structures.
More cities are now replacing their Independence Day fireworks displays with drone shows because of the dry conditions.
“There’s less noise pollution,” said Angela Moore, the chief operating officer of the Alameda County Fair in California. “There’s less pollution in general, and we can run it every single night versus a fireworks show, where we can run maybe once.”
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