Federal agencies still recovering from flooding

More government building closings were announced late Monday and early Tuesday as federal agencies prepared for what forecasters warned could be a continuation of heavy rains that have pounded the capital region.

The Justice Department's Robert F. Kennedy headquarters building will be closed for the next three to seven days as repairs are made to its flooded basement and lost power is restored.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said in a statement that fewer than 2,400 workers were affected by the weather-related damage, but that he remains unsure of when the headquarters will open.

IRS headquarters will be closed until Friday, according to the General Services Administration, which manages many of the federal government's buildings. Flooding in the basement is delaying clean-up, GSA said. Offices in the Old Post Office, which uses the same power source as the IRS, also are closed, but shops in the building remain open.

The Environmental Protection Agency released a statement saying its Ariel Rios north and south buildings at its headquarters would remain closed Tuesday and that employees working in the facility's east and west basements would remain on administrative leave due to flooding.

The National Archives' Washington building also remained closed Tuesday, and an early-afternoon statement said it would stay that way at least through Wednesday. The archives reported no damage to original records at the rotunda and stack areas.

The heavy rains also caused several Crystal City buildings leased by GSA to lose power and some Federal Technology Service employees lost e-mail access when the e-mail server went down.

But the Commerce Department, closed Monday, said its facilities were fully repaired and operational by Tuesday afternoon.

A statement posted late Monday night by the Office of Personnel Management said federal agencies would be open under an unscheduled leave policy, meaning that taking the day off requires taking leave time. Emergency workers are expected to show up.

Kimberly Palmer contributed to this report.