2018 Maryland flood

On the afternoon of May 27, 2018, after receiving over  of rain in the span of two hours, historic Main Street in Ellicott City, Maryland flooded again days before the new flood emergency alert system was to become operational. Flooding occurred throughout the Patapsco Valley in the adjacent communities of Catonsville, Arbutus, and Elkridge, as well as the Jones Falls Valley in Baltimore.

Previously, Ellicott City was submerged during the 2016 Maryland flood, an event once to considered to be an oddity that has a one in one thousand chance of occurring each year. These floods occurred only less than two years since the city was previously flooded.

The flooding gave a significant amount of damage to Ellicott City. The streets were covered in water, buildings collapsed, and cars were being swept along the submerged roads. The flooding claimed the life of one National Guardsman.

Since the floods, the state and local governments have desperately tried to pick up the pieces by signing legislations to demolish some buildings in the historic district.

History and Previous Floods 
Ellicott City, Maryland was founded in 1772. Ellicott city was built just along the Patapsco River and is located about 30 minutes west of Baltimore. This town is the site of the Tiber River along with its other tributaries that connect with it. Because of this, Ellicott City is very vulnerable to severe flooding. In 1868, three casualties occurred in a flood.

There was another flood that ripped through the historic district in on July 30, 2016. The deaths of two people and the destruction of 6 buildings were the results of this event. As a result of the flood, Maryland governor Larry Hogan requested that the federal government to act in on reconstruction after he toured the recovery efforts with Howard County Executive, Allan H. Kittleman.

Flood event 
On Sunday May 27, 2018, a massive storm released nearly two months of rain, over  in between 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. on the Ellicott City area with temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, causing catastrophic flooding in the surrounding area, which swept away several roads, cars and brought more than  of rapidly moving water down Main Street in Old Ellicott City. These flash floods occurred because the historic district was an urban area, and the land could not contain the falling precipitation. Therefore, the streets of Ellicott City had to deal with runoff from the fallen water. A large portion of southbound Route 29 flooded several feet and heavy rains and rapidly rising water washed away portions of several roads.

Howard County officials reported at least 30 water rescues and one missing person as a result of the storm.

The National Weather Service reported rainfall totals in excess of  in several areas, with Catonsville receiving the highest at  and Ellicott City receiving .

According to meteorologists, the storm was "likely worse" than the 2016 Maryland flood because Ellicott City received only 5 inches of rain on July 30, 2016. That is almost half of the amount in comparison with the 2018 flood.

One person was reported missing after helping a local business owner who was trapped by rising water. After he was swept away by the current, active recovery efforts were underway as of May 28 and were suspended on May 29th after his body was recovered in the Patapsco River. The missing man was identified as Sgt. Eddison A. Hermond, 39, a National Guard member and U.S. Air Force veteran.

Surrounding rivers 
The Patapsco River, just southeast of Ellicott City broke a record in terms of water level because it experienced a  increase in water.

Aftermath 
On May 28, Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency.

Since the flood, the Howard County government have tried to come up with solutions to make sure that flash flooding in the historic district does not happen again in the future. There is a recovery website dedicated to the flood set up by the Howard County government. Former Howard County executive Allan H. Kittleman signed a bill meaning that 13 historic buildings will be cleared and demolished from the city. The plan is funded at 50 million dollars and will take 5 years to complete.

The plan to demolish these historic buildings cannot come without obstacles. The Historic Preservation Commission must grant authorization for Howard County to receive a permit to raze the structures. The Maryland Department of the Environment would also need to give the county permits for waterways and non-tidal wetlands. The United States Army Corps of Engineers would also be involved in this process. The rate of approval from them is extended because the main goal is about demolishing buildings in a historic district which is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means that the final results of the plan could change that criteria that would fit Ellicott City on the National Register of Historic Places, so officials from the United States Army Corps of engineers would need to check if that is the case.

Howard County executive Calvin Ball III does not support the plan of demolishing the buildings from the historic district because he thinks the idea of demolishing historic buildings is wrong.

See also
 2016 Maryland flood

References

Maryland
Flood
Category:Ellicott City, Maryland
Maryland flood
Category:Floods in the United States
Category:Disasters in Maryland