The US government shut down for a second day today after Hurricane Isabel caused traffic chaos, toppled trees and cut power to hundreds of thousands of Washington homes.
But Isabel was downgraded to tropical storm status as it moved up the US East Coast and passed through Washington in a milder form than initially feared. Authorities said flooding and damage from trees made getting around dangerous and advised people to stay off the streets.
Washington's Reagan National Airport remained closed due to flooding, but public transit officials said the city's metro and bus system, which was closed for the first time ever due to a hurricane yesterday, would reopen today.
Some of the worst flooding occurred in historic Alexandria, Virginia, where many of the picturesque cobbled streets were under water from the surge of the Potomac, a tidal river. Just north of Alexandria, flooding from the river running alongside Reagan National Airport was expected to keep the airport closed until noon.
Forecasters on Wednesday had predicted Hurricane Isabel would hit the US capital with 60 mph winds, potentially triggering tornadoes and mudslides, but the storm not as fierce as expected.
Nonetheless, the federal government ordered all offices to remain closed today, halting official business in the capital for a second day. Children were also told to stay home from school.
Emergency crews were out early today assessing damage and clearing felled trees that blocked major roads into the city and caused power outages.
Many people who got the day off from work found themselves at home in the dark. More than 800,000 Washington-area customers lost power as Isabel passed.