Washington battens down hatches

HURRICANE Isabel put the US capital in crisis mode yesterday, shutting the city’s metro for the first time, closing government offices and putting famous museums off-limits long before the storm hit.

Mayor Anthony Williams declared a state of emergency a day ahead of the feared storm, set to smack into the capital later last night, and told all non-essential workers to ride out the turbulent weather at home.

With the city on a crisis footing and schools and government departments closed, President George W Bush hunkered down at Camp David in Maryland.