USDA RESEARCH CENTER SEVERELY DAMAGED IN TORNADO

BELTSVILLE, Md. Sept. 25, 2001-Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today surveyed the damages at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in the wake of the tornado that battered Northern Prince George's County at approximately 5:30 p.m. last night. No one was hurt, but the Center's headquarters buildings along Route 1 sustained major structural damage.

The Beltsville center is operated by USDA's Agricultural Research Service.

"The tornado caused extensive damage to the roof of approximately fifteen buildings on the Center's west side along Route 1 in Beltsville," said Veneman. " In addition, high winds structurally damaged and blew out the glass in most of the research greenhouses."

Windows were blown out of some of the buildings, and in some rooms, window air conditioning units were blown from their wooden frames and into the rooms. In addition to the substantial damage incurred at the greenhouses, a great deal of time-consuming research was lost. Approximately fifty government vehicles on the station had damage ranging from minor to irreparable.

BARC facilities are located on both sides of Route 1 in Beltsville, with the bulk of the research activities on the eastern side of the 7 thousand acre research farm. Although no structural damage occurred on BARC's east side, the facility today had no electrical power because of damage to the Capital Cherry Hill electrical substation that provides electricity to the area.

"All of our animal facilities on the east side are running on emergency generators today," said Phyllis Johnson, the director for ARS' Beltsville area. "None of the animals were harmed in the storm."

No estimates were available on the likely cost of repairing the Beltsville research center. Agency officials toured the facility earlier today to assess the damage.

In addition to the damages at BARC, the National Agricultural Library, also located off Route 1 in Beltsville, had several broken windows but no interior damage, according to a library spokesman.

The headquarters buildings at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center are a combination of administrative and laboratory space, Johnson said.

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