Hard to believe in this day and age of modern methods of weather predicting---that someone didn't show the guts to postpone the dedication to a day when a serious storm was not raging. They certainly knew what the weather forecasts were.
DUH--the "show" must go on.
The forcast was for sunny skies. But the rapist brings a dark cloud with him. I think there was a character on the Flintstones or the racing cartoon with Penelope Pitstop that always had a rain cloud above him.