Kittleman said he would never forget the video of residents forming a human chain to rescue a person trapped in a auto in the rising water.
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A video posted online by local media of the so-called human chain shows an unidentified woman in a compact convertible auto as muddy, waist-deep waters gush down a roadway that looks like a raging river.
People watching the horror unfold jumped into action, forming human chains to rescue those trapped. Flash floods, storms cause havoc in Maryland, New JerseyA woman is seen in a small convertible that is being pushed down the street by raging floodwaters as people scamper to help.
The dispatcher remained calm, urged the woman to try to get to a higher level and said emergency crews would be dispatched as soon as possible.
A local woman is one of two people who died as flash flooding devastated Ellicott City, Maryland. He said that there are more “urbanized impervious surfaces” such as as asphalt and concrete that increases the water that runs off into streams, lakes and rivers.
As part of the city’s recovery efforts, 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.
Two people were killed in the nightmare floods – a 35-year-old Pennsylvania woman and a 38-year-old Maryland man – after their vehicles were overcome with floodwater. The unincorporated suburb with a population of roughly 65,000, has seen numerous floods since its inception, including an 1868 disaster which claimed the lives of at least 39 people. In other words, it had a 1 in 1,000 chance of occurring in Ellicott City in any year.
Barth said every business near the river on the town’s historic Main Street had suffered major damage, including building fronts torn off and doors stripped away.
One such rescue was caught on film by a business owner on Ellicott City’s Main Street.
Knight says she never got his name either, just stunned with what had just happened.
“Our department has a long and successful history of partnership with Ellicott City, particularly through our neighborhood revitalization programs”, said Secretary Kenneth C. Holt.
Main Street is now closed until further notice because of gas leaks and downed power lines and devastation. officials said.
He said Christina told him the women left the restaurant during a downpour and got into Watsula’s Ford Focus compact auto.
“We are now underwater”, said the caller at The Phoenix, the pub where county officials later said more than 40 people had to be rescued. “We’ve been hit and we’ve been hit hard”.
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“I could be one of those people”, he said.
