The woman rescued from her stranded vehicle by a human chain in severe flooding in Maryland at the weekend has reportedly met and thanked the man who organised the rescue effort and carried her to safety.
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Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said the city was flood prone but ones brought by hurricanes paled in comparison to what two hours of rain did Saturday night.
Good Samaritans were caught on camera braving fierce flood waters to rescue a woman in Ellicott City, Maryland. One man attempting to help is almost swept away by the current, but he regains his footing and retreats back to safety.
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. Barnes fought the strong current of the water and linked arms with three other men to help pull the woman to safety.
City officials say floodwaters have destroyed at least five buildings and significantly damaged 30 more. “We’re here to give you whatever help we can and we’re going to stay here to make sure Ellicott City returns to its glory”.
Firefighters had a busy night, fetching people from the swift water on Main Street and along the Patapsco River, Deputy Fire Chief Frank Rommal said.
“No one has ever seen devastation like this in Ellicott City or anywhere in Howard County”, Kittleman said.
A state of emergency has since been declared in Ellicott City, west of Baltimore.
The flood also tore away portions of the street and many storefronts, leaving the quaint shopping district in a shambles.
Overnight, more than 180 vehicles were towed from streets, parking lots and the riverbed to a local high school, county officials said.
People rescued one another from cars being swept away.
“It looks like the set of a disaster movie”, Kittleman said. Outside, they found choppy water up to the hoods of cars and Weglein watched as her own vehicle slammed into another.
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‘She yelled at me first, in tears (and) told me never to do it again, ‘ he told WUSA9. “Fifty percent of the owners probably didn’t have insurance, so it’s going to be left to whatever we can come up with together to help everyone get back in their stores”.
