Talk about raining on your parade.
Say it ain’t so. The 72nd annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Parade in Houston has been cancelled due to stormy weather.
After having to cancel last year’s parade for safety reasons, Houston officials including Mayor Sylvester Turner himself, were excited to bring back the wholesome, fun, and festive holiday event to Houston. Early this morning the 72nd annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Parade was set to fill the streets of Downtown, Houston with a cornucopia of monolithic floats, balloons, and cheer – only for it to be called off, minutes before it was to begin.
The HEB Thanksgiving Day Parade has been called off. According to the Mayor’s office the decision to cancel was made due to inclement weather. Crews are currently removing barricades in downtown Houston. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/yM5WPX7TnR
— Brittany Jeffers (@KPRC2BrittanyJ) November 25, 2021
Last year, officials were forced to cancel the parade so as not to contribute to the spread of the COVID-19 virus – it was parade’s first cancellation it first became tradition in 1949.
According to meteorologist, Anthony Yanez, there was a possibility that nearby areas would flood anywhere from 1–4 inches. That said, officials say that the stormy weather ought to clear out by the early afternoon.
“While we are disappointed that we are unable to commence with the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade, we will always err on the side of caution in order to ensure that our parade participants and patrons are safe,” said Director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Events and parade producer, Susan Christian.