Floods Cause Havoc In Washington

Flooding from a weekend of heavy rain shut down major federal buildings Monday, and created a nightmare for commuters with washed-out roads, mud blocking the Capital Beltway and delays on the area's rail lines.

The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service headquarters, the Commerce Department and the National Archives were also closed Monday morning because of flooding.

Even President Bush was affected by the storms, reports CBS News correspondent Howard Arenstein. A fallen tree Monday morning blocked the street where a Republican fundraiser was scheduled and at the White House itself, a 140-year-old elm tree toppled to the ground.

At the Pentagon, parts of the huge parking lot were closed because of flooding.

The National Archives was closed and will remain closed Tuesday, although official said its holdings were not at risk. Conservation staff inspected the Rotunda and stack areas and found no damage to original records, according to a news release.

The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are safe and undamaged, spokeswoman Susan Cooper told Arenstein but the basement and theater in the building are flooded, and a power outage at the building has affected the process used to keep the temperature and humidity of the documents at the proper settings.

The National Gallery of Art was closed because of weather-related problems with its steam system.

The U.S. Capitol, however, was open and both the House and Senate had sessions planned for Monday afternoon, but CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports traffic in the area was "truly awful."

District of Columbia officials urged everyone to avoid the downtown area.

"They need to give us time to make sure everything's OK," said Michelle Pourciau, the acting director of the D.C. Department of Transportation. "We know that more rain is coming ... We're trying to prepare for the additional rain as well."

The storm dumped more than 7 inches of rain in 24 hours Sunday and Monday at the National Arboretum, and a flash flood watch was in effect for the region, with another 2 inches of rain expected Monday. Rain is in the forecast every day this week because of a stubborn low-pressure system off the coast, the National Weather Service said.

In the Washington suburbs, emergency crews had to use boats to rescue dozens of people trapped by flood water.

"I grew up here in Great Falls (Virginia) and the last time it was this bad was in '72, Hurricane Agnes," Meredith Maclay told CBS affiliate WUSA-TV.

Firefighters in Chevy Chase, Md., rescued 30 people by boat from a recreation center late Sunday, said Capt. Oscar Garcia, a spokesman for the Montgomery County fire and rescue service. In Hyattsville, Md., crews took 69 people trapped in flooded homes to safety, said Mark Brady, of Prince George's County fire and rescue.

This Montgomery County, Md., motorist had a close call just north of Washington.

"The water crossed over the streets, and I went ahead to put my brakes on, and the whole current took me, so my car was stuck against the guardrail and then the water started coming up from under the car, it was up to the windows, so I was flipping out," she told CBS affiliate WJZ-TV. "Thank God they came and got me out."

The high water also shut down Amtrak and commuter rail lines into the capital. Limited service had resumed between Washington and Philadelphia Monday morning but trains were delayed. Even Metro subway service in the city was disrupted until noon because of high water on the electrified rails downtown, said Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.

"Riders should bring an umbrella and a bucket full of patience," Farbstein said.

Drivers weren't having much more luck.

Underpasses were flooded, and on the Capital Beltway, a mud slide piled five feet of debris on the roadway near Alexandria, Va., backing up traffic. Transportation crews were working to open at least some lanes for the morning commute but warned of long delays, said Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Joan Morris.

Maryland State Highway Administration spokesman David Buck said falling trees and flooding were expected to be problems all week.

"People need to build in a lot of extra time for the next several days," he said. "It's going to be a challenging week."

On Maryland's Eastern Shore, 10 to 12 inches of rain fell over the weekend in Federalsburg, washing out roads and flooding church basements. Mayor Betty Ballas declared an emergency Sunday for the town of 2,600 residents, 60 miles southeast of Baltimore near the Delaware line. There were no reports of deaths or serious injuries.

In northeastern Maryland near the Pennsylvania border, Harford County officials Monday issued a mandatory evacuation of cabins along the Broad Creek watershed as the creek began to overflow its banks. A half-mile stretch of U.S. Route 29 in Silver Spring was also closed because of a mud slide and flooding.

Route 307 in Maryland was completely washed out in a large section, down to the gravel, said Maryland State Police spokesman Russell Newell. The road will have to be completely rebuilt in order to be used again.

"It is quite a serious situation," Newell said. "There's a lot of roads that have been disabled due to heavy rains and flooding."

In Seaford, Del., cars were floating in a Wal-Mart parking lot after heavy rain on Sunday. Amy Walls, a spokeswoman for the city, said between 10 and 15 people were evacuated from homes in an area known for flooding.

Thelma Gillespie said water was waist-high in the family room of her split-level home and three of her vehicles were submerged up to their roofs.

"It's just a mess. I don't know where to start," Gillespie said. "All my furniture down here was new last year, and I don't have flood insurance. I don't know what we're going to do."