WX FACTORS - ACR DIVERTS TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT AFTER RECEIVING RPTS OF SEVERE TURB AND WINDSHEAR AT THE SCHEDULED DEST.

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WHILE DSNDING INTO THE DCA AREA A GREAT DEAL OF TSTM ACTIVITY WAS BUILDING IN THE DCA ARR AREA MAKING IT NECESSARY FOR NUMEROUS DEVS TO AVOID SEVERE WX. THE ARR PATH TO DCA WAS CLUSTERED WITH NUMEROUS CONTOURING CELLS GROWING IN INTENSITY WHICH MADE NECESSARY OUR DEVS WHICH PUT US IN A POS S THEN E OF DCA. DURING THIS TIME WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE OF A PIREP-A 767 OVER ARMEL RPTING SEVERE TURB AT 2000 FT. ACFT ON THE ARR INTO DCA WERE MAKING RPTS OF THE SAME SEVERE TURB AS WELL AS MODERATE TO HVY RAIN AND A RPT OF MINUS 20 KTS WINDSHEAR ON FINAL TO RWY 18 ON THE RIVER VISUAL TO DCA. PREVIOUS TO THIS WE WERE GIVEN A COMPLETE REROUTING TO DCA BY ORD THAT ADDED A GREAT DEAL EXTRA TIME ENRTE WHICH USED UP ANY PREVIOUS HOLDING FUEL THAT WE WERE GIVEN UPON OUR ARR INTO DCA. WITH SEVERE WX LESS THAN 5 MI FROM THE ARPT AND CLOSING FAST AS WELL AS ATC CTLRS WANTING US TO GO INTO HAZARDOUS WX TO ATTEMPT AN APCH AND NO HOLDING FUEL WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO DIVERT TO RIC. WE STAYED THERE LONG ENOUGH TO REFUEL AND THEN DEPARTED AND LANDED SAFELY AT DCA. IN CONCLUSION I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT THAT ATC CTLRS HAVE NO BUSINESS WHATSOEVER ATTEMPTING TO RTE ACFT THROUGH KNOWN HAZARDOUS WX SIMPLY BECAUSE OTHERS ARE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO DRIVE THROUGH AND ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE. I FELT PRESSURED ON MORE THAN 1 OCCASION DURING THIS EXPERIENCE.