When it rains, it pours — especially when Willard Scott comes to town.

For Mary Hanford’s 100th birthday celebration Tuesday, more than 500 hundred people gathered to wish her happy birthday, including Scott.

At 4 p.m., before Scott got to the Civic Center here in Salisbury, clouds darkened the sky, but no rain had fallen.

Within minutes of his arrival, the rain — a downpour — started. “Willard brought the weather with him,” exclaimed a surprised Ronnie Smith.

Scott has done many things in his life, but he’s probably best known for the roles everyone loves. He was the first ever Ronald McDonald and Bozo the Clown. He’s also served as master of ceremonies for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and for 30 years presided over the Lighting of the Christmas Tree in the nation’s capital.

He even jokes about his days as Bozo the Clown in Washington. “Do you know how hard it is to be a clown in Washington, DC?” he asked.

He noticed that people booed Nixon. People booed John F. Kennedy.

“But, nobody ever booed Bozo the Clown,” Scott said proudly. “Everybody loved me.”

Scott now does weather and visits with people on their 100th birthdays. And despite his years in the weather business, he couldn’t have anticipated Tuesday’s demonstration.

“This is typical Baptist weather,” joked Scott. “We like all the water we can get.”

No one bothered to tell him that the drought-stricken Piedmont wants all the water it can get.

Liddy Dole, the host of Tuesday’s party, said, “I can’t think of a better way to start the day than turning on the television and seeing Willard Scott.”

Scott considers himself “practically a native” since his granddaughter was born in Mocksville and he has other family scattered across the Piedmont.

One of the first things that Scott did was ask Bill Hallman, director of the Civic Center, for some coffee.

He told Hallman just how he likes it, too. “Just a touch of milk,” Hallman said.

When he tried to warm up Scott’s coffee, Scott responded, “The colder it gets, the more I drink.”

At the party, Scott introduced a video tribute to Mary Hanford with well wishes from people like Strom Thurmond and Garth Brooks.

He said nice things about all of them. About Bob Dole, he observed, “He’s bashful, and he’s all ours.”

And when Dole tried to endorse his soft drink of choice, Scott told the crowd, “The one thing better than that is Cheerwine.”

When he introduced Mayor Susan Kluttz, Scott said: “Always a pleasure to introduce an honest politician!”

The jovial TV personality shared a lot of hugs with many well wishers.

He praised Salisbury’s turnout for Mary Hanford. “I’d do anything for her.”

So why did he come?

“When Elizabeth calls, you come,” he replied. “She is a mover and a shaker.”

He called the birthday celebration “a loving time.” He said he felt it and tapped his chest.

The highlight of the evening may have been Scott and Dole leading everyone in a verse of “Happy Birthday.” And, for Mary Hanford, it was.

As for the rain, when Scott left at 7 p.m., so did the rain.