ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) – The deadly flash flood that devastated a Maryland town’s historic center in July 2016 was dubbed a 1-in-1000 year event. Yet less than two years later, another treacherous flood again ravaged the town, gutting shops and killing a visitor.
Exasperated locals, just starting the strenuous task of picking up the pieces from Sunday’s disaster, are calling for authorities to energetically focus on finding some kind of stormwater solution for Ellicott City’s downtown district, situated in a ravine some 13 miles (20 kilometers) west of Baltimore.
This undated photo provided by Howard County Police Department shows Eddison Alexander Hermond, who was reported missing Sunday, May 27, 2018, following torrential rains and flash flooding in Ellicott City, Md. Searchers scouring the Patapsco River near the historic town said Tuesday, May 29, that they have found Hermond’s body. (Howard County Police Department via AP)“Who would have thought this was going to happen in two years? But it happened again. And maybe we’re never going to see Old Ellicott City again,” said resident Sahil Saini, standing outside a community center doubling as a shelter.
Flooding is hardly new for historic Ellicott City, a onetime home to mill workers that transformed into a tourist hub known for its restaurants, antique shops and nightlife. There was a devastating flood in 1868 that killed at least 43 people. Locals who can remember still talk about the one that deluged the town in 1972.
But the recent destructive floods are different, many locals say. They note that the old town’s vulnerabilities have increased as more housing developments have been built in hills above, removing critical protections against flooding and increasing the amount of impervious surfaces.