With a roar, flash flood smashes into a Maryland community

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ellicott City, US | May 27

Roaring flash floods struck a Maryland city Sunday that had been wracked by similar devastation two years ago, its main street turned into a raging river that reached the first floor of some buildings and swept away parked cars, authorities and witnesses say.

News outlets showed photos and video of sudden, violent floodwaters surging down Main Street in Ellicott City, some 13 miles (20 kilometers) west of Baltimore. The community, set along the west bank of Maryland’s Patapsco River, was also stricken by deadly flash flooding in July 2016. This time, witnesses say, the flash flooding came with a roar of onrushing water after hours of heavy rain had soaked the region around Baltimore.

After the floodwaters receded, emergency officials had no immediate reports of fatalities or injuries. But by nightfall first responders and rescue officials were still going through the muddied, damaged downtown, conducting safety checks and ensuring people evacuated.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who declared a state of emergency for the flooded community, traveled there late Sunday for a firsthand look at the destruction.

Footage of Sunday’s flash flooding showed the seething floodwaters engulfing cars and pickup trucks. The Howard County Fire & EMS agency tweeted that water was above the first floor of some buildings at the height of the disaster.

Some residents of Ellicott City told The Baltimore Sun the flooding appeared to be worse than the 2016 flooding that killed two people and destroyed local businesses.

Jessica Ur, a server at Pure Wine Cafe on the city’s Main Street, told the paper she watched as gushing waters swept three or four parked cars down the street. She had been around the last time the area flooded, but said this time it appeared worse.

“It’s significantly higher than it was before,” she told the newspaper, comparing the floodwaters to those of 2016. Mike Muccilli, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia, said it’s too early to make comparisons between the two floods. But he said both were devastating. In July 2016, Ellicott City received 6.6 inches (17 centimeters) of rain over a 2- to 3-hour period. On Sunday, the community received nearly 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain over a 6-hour period, but most of it fell during an intense, 3-hour period, Muccilli said.