Weather for UFC event been an issue. Read toward end. Last paragraph.
Damaging winds, hail possible and isolated tornado can't be ruled out. That's more than rain or shine.
'The show goes on.' Event organizers dismiss weather concerns
Josh Meyer and Zac Anderson
The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday night in Washington, DC, includes a severe thunderstorm watch until 11 p.m. ET, with the chance of scattered showers and wind gusts up to 22 miles per hour.
UFC President and CEO Dana White dismissed concerns about the weather leading up to Sunday's event.
"Listen, the show goes on on Sunday, no matter what happens. We're going. I don't care if it rains, snows," White said. "I'm sick and tired of hearing about all the weather now."
"We are fighting on Sunday night on the White House lawn,” White said, adding, "no matter what!"
The White House also pushed back on concerns about severe weather during the event, blasting a Weather Channel headline as "clickbait" written by a "friendless loser."
"Rain or shine, we’re celebrating our great country no matter what," the White House said on social media.
The U.S. Secret Service told USA TODAY it has contingency plans, as always, for what to do if storms and lightning strike near the arena while President Donald Trump is in attendance. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said there will be meteorologists on site, both from the U.S. government and from UFC.
"We also have the DC Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management that are in real-time coordination with us and the federal partners," said Guglielmi. "There are weather accommodations that are included in our planning."
Capitol Weather said in a social media post that "damaging" wind gusts and hail are possible, and an "isolated tornado can't be ruled out." The most likely window for storms is 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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