Fireworks Board Responds to Criticism After Storm Batters July 4th Celebration

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud Fireworks Board is asking the community for grace after severe weather ripped through Wilson Park on the 4th of July, damaging fireworks and equipment and leaving some spectators frustrated by a delayed and shortened show.

In a lengthy statement released Sunday, the board responded to a wave of criticism on social media over the performance, which was meant to mark America’s 250th birthday.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Stearns County until 4:45 p.m. Saturday, followed by a severe thunderstorm warning for St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park until 5:45 p.m. that included winds up to 60 miles per hour and half dollar sized hail. Flash flood warnings for the area were later extended until 8:00 p.m. The board says the storm brought golf ball sized hail and wind that “seemed to come out of nowhere,” sending families scrambling for shelter in the park’s pavilion.

The board says the storm destroyed its digital display and all of its sound equipment, downed a tree near the launch site and damaged a portion of the fireworks themselves, including the grand finale, which was rigged as its own separate firing section and failed to ignite.

“There was simply no way to know which sections would successfully ignite and which would not until they were fired,” the statement reads. The board says crews performed every test they safely could without setting off the entire display.

The show was also delayed past its scheduled 10:00 p.m. start. The board says law enforcement notified organizers just minutes before launch that a Life Link helicopter was en route to transport a patient needing emergency medical care, and the display was held until crews got the all-clear. “There are moments when helping save a life takes priority over everything else,” the board said.

The statement also addressed questions about why the fireworks are no longer launched from a barge on the Mississippi River. The board says it has been several years since the barge was used, and returning to that setup would add roughly $30,000 in costs and require a licensed captain, a role left vacant after the death of the event’s longtime captain. Even so, the board says a barge launch would have been impossible this year, with river levels so high after the storm that access points were flooded. Flooding also closed 9th/10th Avenue under the Highway 23 bridge near downtown St. Cloud.

The board says no serious injuries were reported and credited volunteers, city workers, police, fire and EMS crews for keeping people safe. The fireworks crew spent more than three days setting up the display, and the event is planned over the course of months with thousands of donated dollars.

Despite the disappointment, the board pledged to rebuild and return next year, saying it will learn from this year and work to make the 2027 celebration stronger.

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