4th of July Celebration Guide

Rain and lightning dampen many July 4 events

July 4 revellers watch fireworks under their umbrellas.
Posted: 07/05/08 at 9:26 am EDT

MIAMI (WSVN) -- It was a night of stars and stripes, but, for most of South Florida, it was a night of nasty storms this July 4.

Both Miami-Dade and Broward County did see a massive light show in the sky, but it wasn't quite the one they were expecting. Lightning strikes provided some real sparks, and there could be more rain on the way. A weak wave on the satellite could mean some more wet weather sooner than later.

Without a doubt -- the Fourth fizzled. It was a nasty night, which even lead to the rescheduling of some Independence Day events. Both Tamarac and Pembroke Pines have postponed their fireworks for July 5.

Despite the weather, some Fourth of July celebrations lit up the skies across South Florida.

There was a striking show in Fort Lauderdale after a day of fun in the sun. Revelers stood under umbrellas to watch the fireworks, and Beverly Cover certainly knew how to keep things in perspective despite the rain. "Troops in Iraq are fighting for us and are not with their families and risking their lives," she said, "so that's what I'm thinking about, and then how lucky we are to be in America."

A similar scene went off in Downtown Miami with a fireworks extravaganza capping a day of picnics and parades. The Fireworks at Bayside almost looked like a washout when rain poured down just before the light show was set to begin. "It's going to blow over quickly, with no lightning, you'll be able to see the fireworks," said one reveler below an umbrella as someone else laughed in the background. He was right.

The rain storms moved out of the way just in time for a professional show to light up the Downtown Miami sky line.

(Copyright 2008 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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