RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) - When Terry McAuliffe was sworn in as the 72nd governor of Virginia Saturday, there were many high profile guests in attendance.
Not only were former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, in attendance, but most Virginia lawmakers were also there.
One would expect security to be tight at such a high profile event, one that saw SWAT presence on the roof of the Executive Mansion. But it turns out that the weather didn't just impact the clothes that onlookers wore to Terry McAuliffe's inauguration.
The heavy rains also impacted security.
The Virginia State Police confirmed that some of their wands - used to detect explosives and metal objects - malfunctioned Saturday.
The wands only malfunctioned at one gate, the gate where credentialed media entered, Sgt. Thomas Molnar with Virginia State Police said in a phone interview with CBS 6 reporter Joe St. George.
Officers performed pat-downs as a result of the malfunction, Sgt. Molnar explained. He emphasized the only people impacted were those already credentialed by the Inaugural Committee.
The Virginia Capitol Police - the agency in charge of Inaugural Security - did not wish to comment.
Ty Querry, a security expert with Richmond Security, told CBS 6 that extreme weather conditions can impact the metal wands - but that wands exist that are built to handle extreme elements.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it did fail," Querry said.
"In inclement weather that electronic is subject to moisture, temperature, humanity," Querry added.
