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The Ellicott City flood was the result of
more than 8 inches of rain in the span of two
hours or nearly the typical rainfall seen in this
area over the span of two months. It affected
not only Main Street in this city, but also the
adjacent communities of Catonsville, Arbutus
and Elkridge in the Patapsco Valley of Howard
County, Maryland. Catonsville itself received
almost 10 ½ inches of rain and was virtually
cutoff from vehicle traffic for a time due to
highwater and washed out roads. Howard
County officials reported at least 30 known
water rescues and one death, that of Sgt.
Eddison A. Hermond, 39, an Air Force Veteran
and Maryland National Guard member, who
was swept away by the current rushing down
Main Street in Ellicott while assisting a local
business owner who was trapped in his
Randy Layman
Editor
building by rising water.
Yes, there was plenty of tragedy to go around
in this weather event, the greatest being, as I
mentioned earlier in this article, being that all
this had happened to these same folks less
than two years previously. One of the other
unfortunate circumstances was that this all
happened just a matter of days before a new
Flood Emergency Alert System was to become
operational in this same area.
Many of you readers have had the sad duty
of working losses in the aftermath of such
flood destruction, but I have to say this was
the first time I was ever right in the middle of
it. I wouldn’t recommend it to you!
Images of the Ellicot City public parking lot