A woman became trapped in her vehicle when a flash flood hit downtown Ellicott City, Maryland.
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Two people were killed while several homes and businesses suffered devastating damage in Ellicott City, Maryland, which is located about 15 miles from Baltimore. The heavy rains caused the nearby Patapsco River to raise 13 feet, and as a result many cars and homes were destroyed or damaged, two people lost their lives after they were swept away by the rushing water, and over 100 others had to be rescued.
The Governor has declared a state of emergency.
The bodies of two people, a man and a woman, were found in the aftermath, one in the river, officials said.
Ellicott City has rebuilt after floods before, including in the wake of Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
“We are hear today not to just tour, but to continue our action plan to bring in any and all federal resources”, she said at a brief press conference early Monday afternoon.
“We’ve never seen such devastation in Howard County for over 50 years”, Allan Kittleman, the county executive, told CNN.
Recovery and cleanup is underway on historic Main Street after the sidewalk caved in due to overnight flooding in Ellicott City, Md., on Sunday. Main Street slopes dramatically toward the river and has always been susceptible to flooding.
The other victim was identified as Joseph Blevins, 38, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, police said.
She said the couple’s frame shop business, Still Life Gallery, was destroyed by the flood.
“Grateful, I’m thankful. I wish I knew how to get in touch with him”. A local preservation organizations has pledged its help with rebuilding historic structures damaged by water and mud, local news outlet WTOP reports.
Onlookers appear frustrated at first when the woman in the vehicle doesn’t get out but gradually she makes her way through the passenger window into the arms of a helper who carries her to safety.
There can 1-in-1,000 year flood events, but that was not necessarily the case in Ellicott City: This was a 1-in-1,000-year rain event.
The floodwaters swept away hundreds of cars, tore up sidewalks and wrecked storefronts and building foundations.
During an information session for residents and business owners affected by the flood, neighbors hugged one another and shared stories about how long it may take to rebuild.
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Police say a Pennsylvania woman visiting the town with her family was one of those killed after their auto was caught in the raging floodwaters and carried toward the Patapsco River.
