Floodwaters rushed down the city’s Main Street and in a dramatic scene people formed a human chain to rescue a woman who was trapped in a auto. Some 120 people had to be rescued.
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Sara Arditti, who owns the Still Life Gallery on Main Street with her husband David Dempster, was recording the rising floodwater when they spotted Knight’s Volkswagen Beetle being swept away by the gushing water.
He also points out that much of the damage has been borne by small business owners, some of whom live above their stores and haven’t been able to return home.
“It is possible that some people may be found in cars or buildings”.
“You know, all I can say is, I’m just happy to be alive”, said Weglein. “I thought he would be swept away to his death”.
“You have to”, a rescuer responds.
The man at the end closest to the auto is briefly pulled by the water, but manages to hang on to the vehicle.
The residents linked arms as they battled across vicious flood water to save the woman who had become trapped in her vehicle after severe thunderstorms smashed central Maryland late Saturday.
Courtney Weglein told CNN affiliate WJZ the water got so high so quickly on Saturday night that a man had to be carried to safety.
In all, at least four properties were completely destroyed and another 20 to 30 buildings were badly damaged, Kittleman said in a statement.
Hogan signed an emergency declaration Sunday morning that will allow greater aid coordination and assistance.
Officials said the two bodies were recovered on the Baltimore County side of the Patapsco.
“We’ve been relatively fortunate and it’s very sad that we lost two people that we know of”.
In two hours, almost 6 inches of rain had fallen, an event so extraordinary that the National Weather Service said it should, statistically, occur there just once every 1,000 years.
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman told AP that the devastation was the worst he had seen in 50 years living and described it as imitating the set of a disaster movie.
“Within five minutes it was panic and my friend was pulling someone out of there and I’ve never seen anything like it”, said Chief Gary Gardner, Howard County Police Department.
Police said there were no other people reported missing.
But he didn’t have flood insurance on his merchandise, he said, which looked like it was a total loss.
The government will tow about 170 cars in the area, which was declared to be in a state of emergency by Gov. Larry Hogan.
Workers gather by street damage after the flooding.
Emergency responders rescued more than 100 people overnight.
Video shot from Chopper4 Monday morning shows flipped cars, broken roads and downed utility poles.
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More rain and thunderstorms are forecast to move through the region on Sunday, but are not expected to bring as much rainfall as the rain and thunderstorms on Saturday.
