Ellicott City after the storm. Photo via Facebook.
A historic town in Howard County, Maryland is in recovery mode after a flood ravaged its streets Saturday evening. In Ellicott City, six inches of rain fell in two hours, killing two people, sweeping vehicles off roads, damaging businesses, and displacing many residents.
Today, officials are working to retrieve 20 vehicles from the Patapsco River and two cars from the Tiber-Hudson channel, according to a release from the Howard County Government. Since the downpour, the Howard County Police Department has made “significant progress” towing more than 180 cars to a school parking lot. The Howard County Bureau of Utilities has also repaired the water main on Main Street, restoring water service to impacted homes and businesses.
But there’s still lots of work to be done. Per an executive order by County Executive Allan H. Kittleman, a portion of Ellicott City’s downtown area is closed to all but emergency vehicles and pedestrian traffic.
Workers inspected 200 properties in the town—four or five of them are destroyed and 20 to 30 have substantial damage, according to the county government, which sent multi-media specialist Seth Hoffman downtown to take video footage of damaged properties.
The storm had deadly consequences. At 2:20 a.m. on Sunday, Baltimore County Police and Fire responded to the report of Jessica Watsula, whose body was found in the water near the river bank. At around 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, police responded to the report of Joseph Anthony Blevins, whose body was found washed up on shore. Both victims were in cars with people who survived the flood.
Officials estimate a months-long recovery that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, the Associated Press reported.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a State of Emergency for the county, making it eligible to receive state resources and putting into motion the process for seeking federal assistance.
Some residents are taking funding into their own hands. The stepmother of Jason Barnes, owner of All Time Toys, started an online fundraising campaign for his store. The GoFundMe page shows that supporters have donated nearly the entire goal of $10,000 in one day.
A damaged storefront in Ellicott City. Photo via Facebook
Ellicott City is “a highly vulnerable spot” along the bottom of a deep valley, according to the Capital Weather Gang. For a number of reasons, the storms’ impact was difficult to predict by meteorologists. But by 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, the National Weather Service had issued a flash flood emergency for Howard and Southwest Baltimore counties. “Severe flooding ongoing! Please seek higher ground if you are in those areas!” the NWS tweeted.
Overall, about 120 people needed to be rescued during the storm, Howard County officials said, according to WJLA. Barnes, the toy store owner, led an effort that involved a group of men creating a human chain to rescue a woman from her car as it floated down Main Street. The incident was captured on video.
29-year-old Jamie Knight said she’s grateful to Barnes. “I wish I knew how to get in touch with him. It was brave, really brave,” Knight told WUSA 9, unaware of her hero’s identity at the time. County Executive Kittleman said the rescue “gave him confidence the city would overcome and become a stronger community,” according to WJLA.
The city is holding an information session for residents, businesses, and property owners who were impacted by the storm today at 4:30 p.m. It’s also working with the American Red Cross Greater Chesapeake Region to establish a dedicated fund for cash donations. Residents can donate food through the Community Action Council of Howard County.
