Record heat suspected in over 20 deaths as severe weather puts damper on Fourth of July festivities

HeatRecord heat suspected in over 20 deaths as severe weather puts damper on Fourth of July festivitiesMuch of the nation was stewing under 90 to 100-degree heat, which is expected to move south and west by the beginning of next week. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00National Guard soldiers assisting a visitor near the entrance to the Great American State Fair in Washington on Saturday. Anna Rose Layden / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 4, 2026, 8:59 PM EDTBy Dennis Romero and Austin MullenRecord-setting heat is suspected in 22 deaths from the Deep South to the Midwest to the East Coast, authorities said, with the temperature highs also suppressing some Fourth of July celebrations. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Nearly 156 million people in the eastern two-thirds of the nation were under heat alerts issued by the National Weather Service on Saturday. A high-pressure dome of heat parked over the country was pushing air downward, heating it as it descends and resulting in temperatures of more than 100 degrees in some places, including the District of Columbia; Norfolk, Virginia; and Raleigh, North Carolina.In Washington, D.C., which was hosting Salute to America 250 festivities at the National Mall celebrating a Fourth of July that marks 250 years of independence, emergency workers and members of the National Guard were seen rendering aid to attendees with heat-related ailments. Emergency workers providing assistance to another tourist at the Great American State Fair in Washington on Saturday.Joe Raedle / Getty ImagesA man yelled, “Emergency! Coming through!” as he helped clear the crowds for a woman on a stretcher.General seating was under a beating sun, and the temperature of chairs was measured at 160 degrees. Pallets of bottled water were seen stocked in the sunlight.A joint information center spokesperson at the National Mall said the number of heat-related...