ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — When it rains it pours is an apt phrase to describe the mindset of Ellicott City residents and business owners when the forecast calls for thunderstorms. And after a Flash Flood Warning was issued Wednesday, the prep work began.
Just before 6:30 p.m., Howard County tweeted that the tone alert system had been activated and would sound multiple times while Ellicott City was under the warning. Officials also urged all residents to seek high ground as soon as possible, noting that the higher ground access point gates were unlocked. Main Street from Rogers Avenue to Maryland Avenue was closed to traffic.
Waters as high as six feet were seen in parts of Ellicott City Wednesday evening. Two to three inches of rainfall were recorded in the area.
The historic Maryland district is no stranger to the dangers of flooding. In 2016 and 2018, swift floodwaters cascaded down Main Street into the Patapsco River, carrying cars, trucks and furniture through storefront windows and into scores of businesses.
“I’ve actually moved my business nine times in Ellicott City, because of flooding,” Kelly Myers, owner of the Main Street vintage boutique, A Journey from Junk, said. “But I love this place, I love the people."
With Isaias threatening the East Coast last week, entrepreneurs and residents once again prepared to batten down the hatches, lining Main Street with sandbags and activating a network of Facebook groups, text messages and email alerts. The city also has a new flash flood alarm system, which sounded for the first time on June 22.
Several counties around the DMV were under a Flash Flood Warning Wednesday evening, including Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia and Montgomery, Howard and Prince George's counties in Maryland. The entire DMV was under a Flash Flood Watch through 11 p.m.
