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MLK Memorial Takes On Small Amount Of Water

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Park Service says the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial took on a small amount of water as Hurricane Irene made its way through the nation's capital overnight.

Park service spokesman Bill Line says some water "splashed up" onto the memorial from the Tidal Basin. But he says there was no damage and notes that the memorial, like others on the Tidal Basin, was designed to withstand flooding.

The memorial was supposed to be dedicated Sunday, but the ceremony was postponed because of the storm.

Line says there was no additional damage to the Washington Monument. Several cracks formed in the top of the monument during Tuesday's 5.8-magnitude earthquake.

He says damage assessment teams were sent out Sunday morning to gauge the storm's impact on park service properties.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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