In the flood zone: The National Gallery of Art
[NOTE: There is a correction to the first paragraph of this post, here.]
Remember the June 2006 cresting of the Potomac River in Washington, DC, which caused temporary closures of the National Archives, National Gallery, Natural History Museum and American History Museum, not to mention the Internal Revenue Service?
Now, according to the Associated Press, “the threat [of floods] is worsening” for these and other buildings in Washington’s flood zone.
Brian Wesley reports:
The nearly 70-year-old [Potomac Park] levee is at risk of failing during a major storm—a catastrophe that could swamp portions of downtown in up to 10 feet
(3.05 meters) of water and cause $200 million in damages, according to
federal officials. [The flooding last time wasn’t caused by a breached levee, just torrential rains.]….[Washington] officials pledged to build an improved flood control system by November 2009.
We can only hope. Meanwhile, the archives and museums had better have a plan for keeping their treasures high and dry.