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Heavy rain moved through the area right before 9:30 p.m. on Thursday night, causing mass confusion among people waiting for the fireworks show at Dorothea Dix Park.

City of Raleigh confirms shortened Dix Park fireworks show, will not reschedule 

<p>THE STORMS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. COMING UP IN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES, GUYS. ALL RIGHT, MIKE, THANK YOU. WELL, THIS TRAFFIC BACKUP ON WESTERN BOULEVARD REALLY GIVES YOU A SENSE OF JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE DICK'S WITH DICK'S PARK SHOW TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST 40 MINUTES, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONFUSION. &gt;&gt; ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE FIREWORKS SHOW WOULD EVEN GO ON AT DIX PARK WHEN THAT HEAVIER RAIN MOVED IN. THERE'S ALSO LIGHTNING AND SOME THOUGHT THE PARK WAS BEING EVACUATED. AT ONE POINT, HOWEVER, THE CITY OF RALEIGH TELLING US THAT WAS NOT TRUE AS WELL AS STICKS. PARK OFFICIALS. INSTEAD, IT'S A THERE WAS A RAIN PAUSE IN EFFECT. THEY WERE TELLING PEOPLE GET TO YOUR CAR IF YOU COULD. SO THE FIREWORKS STARTED ABOUT 20 MINUTES AGO. THEY HAVE SINCE WRAPPED UP WRAL'S. BRIAN SHRADER IS MONITORING ALL OF THIS IN THE LIFE CENTER. BRIAN, SAFE TO SAY IT WAS A BIT OF A MESS. IT IS A LIVE. THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION THAT HAD TO BE SORTED OUT HERE IN THE PAST HALF HOUR OR SO AROUND DICK'S PARK AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE LIVE TRAFFIC MAP RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN SEE VERY HEAVY DELAYS ON LAKE WHEELER ROAD IN WESTERN BOULEVARD AS PEOPLE LEAVE DIX PARK. BUT AS WE WILL LET UP TO THAT 9.30, START FOR THE FIREWORKS. THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION WITH THAT. RAIN STARTED MAYBE ABOUT A QUARTER AFTER 9. AND THEN WORD STARTED TO SPREAD THAT THE PARK WAS BEING EVACUATED. APPARENTLY AN EMPLOYEE TOLD OUR CARLY HAYNES THE PARK WAS BEING EVACUATED. WORD STARTED TO SPREAD ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THE FIREWORKS HAD BEEN POSTPONED TO TOMORROW NIGHT. &gt;&gt; BUT THEN ABOUT 9.40, THE FIREWORKS STARTED. HERE'S SOME VIDEO FROM OUR SKYCAM HERE AT THE TV STATION THAT DISPLAY WENT ON FOR PROBABLY ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR SO. NOW I WILL POINT OUT THAT THE CITY HAD A SPECIAL TEXT ALERTS SET UP WHERE YOU CAN GET UPDATES ABOUT THE WEATHER ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AT A DICK'S PART SPECIFICALLY FOR TONIGHT'S FIREWORKS SHOW HAS SIGNED UP FOR THOSE EARLIER THIS EVENING AND NEVER RECEIVED ANY WORD ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AT DIX PARK. LET'S CHECK IN WITH WILLIE DANLEY WHO WAS THERE AS IT ALL HAPPENED. WILLIE, WHAT DID YOU EXPERIENCE OF THE PARK? &gt;&gt; WELL, BRIAN, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN TELL BEHIND ME, BUT THERE IS A LOT GOING ON HERE. IT'S A VERY PACKED IN HECTIC OF OUR ENVIRONMENT. I'LL SAY THAT. I'LL SHOW YOU THIS. THIS IS WESTERN BOULEVARD RIGHT AT OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE OF DIX PARK. PLEASE EXCUSE THE BLUR ON THE CAMERA, THE RAIN AND THE HUMIDITY'S CREATED A VERY STEAMY ENVIRONMENT. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT APART ALONG WESTERN BOULEVARD WHICH CAUSES CHAOS FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO LEAVE. I SPOKE TO A POLICE OFFICER RIGHT OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE OF THE PARK AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE PARK DID NOT EVACUATE, BUT HE SAID PEOPLE AREN'T WANTING TO STICK AROUND FOR THE RAIN. WHILE FLIP THE CAMERA AROUND AND SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE SEEING ALL THE WAY BACK HERE ON THE TRAFFIC LINING, THE STREET. IT'S VERY PACKED OUT HERE AND I'M SURE WILL BE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE OFF. STAY OUT HERE AND KEEP YOU UPDATED WITH WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE PARK.</p>

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