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Ellicott City's Main Street set to reopen after May flood

Main Street has been closed since the flood in between Old Columbia Pike and Maryland Avenue.

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. -- Nearly two months after a devastating flash flood hit Ellicott City, Main Street is set to open back up Friday night at 5 p.m. This sets off the second recovery from a major flood for this city in just two years. The city was similarly damaged by a 2016 flash flood.

RELATED: Ellicott City clock recovered after devastating flood

Main Street has been closed since the flood in between Old Columbia Pike and Maryland Avenue. That stretch is full of businesses, which have been shut down since the storm, forcing them to face the question of whether to rebuild or not.

"It's bittersweet," said County Executive Allan Kittleman "We don't want to go through this again. It's heartbreaking to see what Ellicott City has had to go through again. But the people here are tremendous. They're inspiring. They're my friends. I care about them."

The May 27 storm caused millions of dollars in damages, and destroyed dozens of buildings. It also took the life of one man, swept up in the waters. It was considered a 1000-year storm, just as the first one was in 2016. Kittleman said it's a sign that the city needs to take more action to protect against these environmental challenges.

"It's unfortunate that Ellicott City was built in an area," he said. "Where this is what it was all about. They built a mill here in 1771 because they wanted to have the water come down the hill. They had three streams come together to go into a river. It's exactly what they needed to have a Mill town. But it makes it very difficult when clearly the weather is changing."

While many businesses in between Old Columbia Pike and Maryland Avenue remain closed, one bar has opened back up. On Thursday evening, The Phoenix Emporium opened their doors for the first time in two months.

"We could have never done it again without you," they wrote on their Facebook. "We are so grateful to be a part of this community."

At 5 p.m., Kittleman is expected to lift the state of emergency as well, which has been in place for months.

"I think Ellicott City is going to be a strong place," he said. "It's going to be even stronger after this flood. We're almost 250 years old here in Ellicott City. In 2022 we'll be celebrating our 250th year anniversary. I want the folks 250 years from now to look back at Ellicott City in 2018 and say 'that was their strongest hour.'"

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