a lot of music, military units, and celebrities. >> for others, it is another day without power. this is day six in the dark for thousands of people in the area. power crews say they are getting ahead of the game right now. >> for all of us, it remains hot. the high temperature at reagan national airport was 99 degrees. on top of this heat, we also have a risk of some storms around our area tonight. >> we are on storm watch. >> steve, what is the latest? >> the thunderstorms, the severe thunderstorms about 45 minutes ago, have now fizzled out. take a look at the super doppler radar. that is where that storm was originally warning -- to stay

very small cluster at this point. we do have some storms to the north of us in frederick. the watches, no warnings it just a heated vice three until 9:00 tonight. -- just a heat advisory until 9:00 tonight. more details coming up in just a few minutes. >> do not forget to check wjla.com for the latest weather information. if you are heading out for the evening, and you can download the app for your smart phone. thousands of people are dealing with the heat as they prepare for the big fourth of july show on the national mall. >> the heat is not stopping them that is for sure. >> a lot of people -- the

numbers are down for this july 4. it could be the heat or in might be because the construction cranes that many of the visitors are seeing. it is one of the biggest draws in the country every fourth of july. but this independence day, the national mall is a local mess. several construction projects are limiting where visitors can go. >> i noticed all the side trails are closed. you have to go all the way around. >> among the biggest projects, a $32 million effort to resurface the reflecting pool in front of the lincoln memorial. it had been leaking for decades. the construction of the african- american museum just started. >> we have a lot of did reasons for the projects going on right now. it is a disappointment to

visitors we know. >> the mob gets more than 24 million visitors annually -- the mall gets more than 24 million visitors annually. july 4 is the most popular day each year. >> we are just immune to its canal. >> expect delays, that is all part of it. >> visitors are understanding of the work in progress. >> i am glad they are fixing it up. so that is good. >> the reflecting pools construction is expected to be completed by the end of august. the entire national mall is expected to be back and and better by the inauguration in january of 2015. >> more than two dozen u.s. service members have celebrated the nation's independence as new american citizens. president obama hosted a

naturalization ceremony at the white house for 25 active-duty military members from 17 countries. he spoke about the nation's diversity and the need for comprehensive immigration reform. >> it brings me great joy and inspiration because it reminds us that we are a country that is bound together not simply by ethnicity or bloodlines, but by fidelity to a set of ideas. >> the services took place all across america today with members of the president's cabinet present. >> mitt romney took a break from vacationing in new hampshire to march in an independence day parade. this was his only official public appearance today. they're vacationing at the lakeside estate this week. a return to the latest on the storm's aftermath and recovery.

>> there are a lot of people in the dark. they're dealing with this heat. pepco says 90% of its customers are back on line, but 37,000 customers are still without power. the many reports about 18,000 without power. 22,000 bge are still waiting for the lights to come on it. >> it has been a difficult process. >> we have more on how the restoration effort is going. >> we are in rockville in a neighborhood that is still without power. crews are working very hard on this holiday but at last report from pepco 33,000 customers in the county are without electricity. no holiday for cruise scrambling to repair downed power lines.

despite the hard work, the fourth of july is no picnic for thousands of people in montgomery county. >> why are we out so long? >> she does not get it. no power since friday? her lines are underground. >> we are in a pretty densely populated area. >> underground lines are less vulnerable but they often feed off of above-ground sources. >> we cannot believe it. >> they are eating out and sleeping in the basement, where it is not quite so hot. the lack of power and air conditioning is taking a toll on this family. >> i thought it was going to be back earlier. >> he returned home in hopes of finding his lights back on. we found him sweating and fuming. >> we were living downtown at a

dog-friendly hotel. >> he still has no idea when the power will return, he checked out his house and repacked. >> there is no way we can live in here. >> they are trying to get the electricity back on in this neighborhood. as far as the timeline, all of those people, 33,000 customers in montgomery county in the dark still very hot without air-conditioning. >> thank you. the power outages are being blamed for sickening to children. they had to be airlifted to the hospital this morning. their families had run a

generator in the basement. the children should be ok, we're told. >> the latest on a fire in the district that took the life of a well-known woman. >> by some experts say getting the unemployment rate down is a long way off. >> a bit of an unusual sight today. people still in the dark, but cheering for local power crews.

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>> you are watching abc 7 news at 6 on your side. >> residents are mourning the death of a well-known woman. >> 71-year-old mildred harrison was killed in an early-morning apartment fire. investigators say they think the fire started in her kitchen and then quickly spread. neighbors say she will be missed. >> she was a person who smiled all the time. >> at the cause of the fire is under investigation. firefighters went back to the area today passing out smoke detectors. >> a man well known in the d.c. nightclub scene has died after a car crash. he stepped out of his car on the baltimore-washington parkway.

they had pulled over to switch drivers when another car hit them. his wife is hospitalized, but did recover. richards was the local representative for sean combs's liquor company. >> it would mark the longest stretch of high unemployment since world war ii. jobs and economy will remain big challenges for president obama's second term or mitt romney's first. >> the ultimate in gluttony on coney island. we will have a look at it was able to eat the most hot dogs. >> the heat goes on. >> we will take you to a huge crash at the tour de france.

>> we are back with the fourth

of july celebration. a little bit of storm recovery mixed end. one arlington neighborhood taking the power outages in stride. >> these people are celebrating their response to the power crisis. >> the color guard and uncle sam made it look official. this had a decidedly different theme. >> we are all grateful that we have electricity back. >> we are delighted, perfect timing. >> they built floats honoring the dominion virginia power. they even cheered a power company truck as it rolled by. they literally carried part of the pole that left 3700 people

in the dark. that was taken down by this enormous tree. the reason why so many people were without power until the mornings of july 4. the crisis is not over. the neighbors say they came together, they showed compassion. they rediscovered where power comes from. it comes from the people. >> put if -- the best face on. >> positive attitude. >> we have hot weather on the way, but a little bit of a cool down. something to look forward. take a look outside. annapolis, md. what a beautiful evening. we did have some thunderstorms about an hour ago across prince william county.

the daytime high temperature of 99 degrees, one degree shy of tying a longstanding record of 100 such back in 1919. temperatures right now at the airport, at 98 degrees. it feels like 104. 96 degrees at george washington university. it feels like 108 degrees over in alexandria. temperatures outside slow to cool. culpeper as 97 degrees. the heat index makes it feel a lot hotter than that. 99 is what it feels like in hagerstown. the heat advisory until 9:00 tonight. look at the temperatures out to the west of us. detroit, minneapolis all at 100 degrees or better this evening. excessive heat warnings stretching from chicago all the

way across indiana and illinois. it is really hot out there. for us, the heat advisory continues for the next three hours. pop-up thunderstorms now beginning to develop across the western pennsylvania. this is all we have on our super doppler radar. this small cell in frederick did not amount to a whole lot. no watches or warnings for us. i do anticipate a pop-up thunderstorms in the next few hours or so. tomorrow, and other very hot day with lively scattered showers and thunderstorms. almost a repeat performance as we move into friday and saturday. more men human for the fireworks, a few thunderstorms possible -- warm and humid for the fireworks, a few

thunderstorms possible. tomorrow at 95 to 100 degrees. the extended outlook, if you like slightly cooler air, it is on the way. upper 80's to around 90, that is near average. >> the toyota sports desk, brought to you by your local toyota dealers. moving you forward. >> the one thing that is hotter than the temperatures are the nats. >> how about that? >> unbelievable. >> it is incredible. as outstanding as the pitching staff has been this season, the offense is on fire. bottom of the fourth, tied at 3. there you go.

oblast to right center it is out in the stands. 4-3. ryan zimmerman hit a heard homer to right center. ryan zimmerman gets 3 rbi's today. michael morse gets in the home run act. what a day it was. >> it did not feel right until about 10 days ago. we did not have morse. the rest of the guys are doing their part, too. we are doing the things i know we are capable of doing. >> the orioles posted the mariners, a top of the first. adam jones deep left.

say goodbye. top of the third,davis single between first and second. orioles lead 4-0 in the eighth. check out our play of the day. carlos gomez hits his head, but held onto it. here it is again. there you go with a catch. three tiebreaks today. murray will face tsonga. aggressive play today hitting 50 winners. 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.

little pump action. it is the annual tradition we all love and can barely watch. once again. joey chestnut won the hot dog eating contest, 68 hot dogs. there is the black widow, sonya thomas of alexandria, 45. she also won last year. it is a sport, it is incredible. espn is reporting the knicks are making an aggressive move. had to rounded out with some nba.

>> more hot weather. >> early next week,. i am more confident that the fireworks will go. look at the cooler air upper 80's by next week. it will be hot for the next four days. >> ok. >> all right.

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