Washington – Workers pumped water from the IRS headquarters’ flooded basement Tuesday and mopped up at other government buildings after heavy rain swamped the nation’s capital.
A brief break from the two-day deluge gave crews a chance to reopen commuter routes and set up sandbags to prevent more water from getting inside buildings.
More than 7 inches of rain fell on Washington in a 24- hour period Sunday and Monday, shutting down several federal buildings and closing some of the city’s busiest tourist attractions just days before the Fourth of July weekend. Forecasters warned that more rain is likely every day this week.
In downtown Washington, the Justice Department, the IRS and the National Archives – where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were safe under glass – were among several buildings still closed because of flooding or other storm-related problems.
Some streets were also shut down because water from the flooded buildings was being pumped into the city sewers.
The storm also toppled a 100-year-old elm tree on the White House lawn Monday. Claudia Dickens, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, said the elm might be one of the trees depicted on the back of the $20 bill.
