Heavy rain closes D.C. landmarks

WASHINGTON — More than a foot of rain washed out highways around the nation's capital Monday, toppled a 100-year-old elm tree on the White House lawn and caused flooding that closed major government departments and the National Archives, where the Declaration of Independence is kept under glass.

Motorists were stranded during the morning rush hour, commuter trains were halted, and emergency crews used boats to rescue dozens of people marooned by high water. Many government employees were told to stay home, and tourists found that some of the major landmarks that had drawn them to Washington were closed.

The National Archives was shut down because the moat surrounding the building on Pennsylvania Avenue had flooded, spokeswoman Susan Cooper said. All records and national treasures were "safe and dry," she said.

Flooding also closed IRS headquarters, the Commerce Department and the Justice Department, but the federal government as a whole remained in business.

The National Zoo was closed to cars because of flooding in the parking lot but was open to pedestrians. Then it shut down entirely in the afternoon.

More than 7 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in the city on Sunday and Monday, with up to 14 inches in parts of Delaware and 12 inches at Federalsburg, Md., on the Eastern Shore.

A mudslide piled debris as high as 5 feet on the Capital Beltway, which carries Interstate 95 around Washington. Motorists were urged to avoid downtown Washington and other areas because of mudslides, fallen trees and street flooding.

The Potomac River's Northwest Branch flooded U.S. 29, a major commuter route through Silver Spring, Md., with 5 feet of water and left a layer of mud that closed it for nearly a mile.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Wayne Mowdy of the State Highway administration, who has worked in the area for 28 years.

In Elkton, Md., a 6-foot wide, 2-foot deep hole opened on I-95, blocking traffic in two lanes, state police said.