Ellicott City Maryland - Storm Aftermath

Storm Damage in Maryland Strikes Again

On July 30, 2016, Ellicott City, Maryland sustained some of the worst storm damage in Howard County, if not all of the mid-Atlantic. Not since 1972 had this area suffered such ravaging floodwaters resulting in washed out roads, damaged structures, broken sewer lines, and two fatalities. In total, the storm dropped 6.5 inches of rain in two hours, with 5.5 inches falling in just 90 minutes. The meteorological cause of such an epic downpour was a complex mixture of high humidity, unstable air, southerly wind, a nearby warm front combined with other factors according to The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang.

 (Src:  Howard County Time - photo by Sarah Pastrana)

While heavy rain events have increased by 71% in the northeastern United States (including Maryland) between 1958 and 2012, other contributors to this increase is not necessarily linked with climate change according to the National Climate Assessment. Reporting on the topic has shown only with moderate confidence this link can be made. Other contributing factors are man-made which

include land use and storm water management.

The flood, considered to be a 1-in-1,000 year event, caused damage to more than 100 area homes and businesses and displaced hundreds of residents and workers in the historic downtown district. Two buildings were deemed structurally unsound and will have to be razed.

Declared a state of emergency by Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan, area residents and business owners continue to pull together to remove debris, remove trees, and help one another put their livelihoods back together and find normalcy again.

Active recovery efforts include The Disaster Assistance Center, located at 9401 Frederick Road, acting as a one-stop-shop for property owners to get information about agencies and organizations offering assistance and the Howard County Office of Workforce Development which is holding a job fair at the Disaster Assistance Center. To make monetary donations to help residents, please visit the Ellicott City Partnership, CommunityAction Council of Howard County and the United Way. In addition to private support, the local Ellicott city-based Howard bank and Buffalo, New York-based M&T bank have each contributed $10,000 to assist local merchants and residents for the recovery effort.