Government, Public Schools To Open In D.C. Wednesday

WASHINGTON (AP) -- D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray says the local government is preparing to open along with public schools in the city.

Gray said government and schools would open Wednesday after two days of being closed because of Hurricane Sandy.

Gray said at a news conference Wednesday that the storm "thankfully turned out a whole lot better" than expected in D.C.

Federal government offices will also reopen Wednesday.

The Office of Personnel Management announced Tuesday afternoon that government offices will open again. But OPM says employees still have the option for unscheduled leave or telework.

Gray says the most severe portion of the storm has passed, though flooding on the Potomac River and its tributaries remain a "huge concern."

He says the river could crest at high tide on Wednesday night.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)