The Patapsco River rose 14 feet from about 7:20 p.m. The massive burst of precipitation sent a wave of floodwaters cascading down the hillsides in the historic downtown where it turned into a wall of water smashing down Main Street, sweeping cars downhill, sending restaurant-goers scurrying for higher ground and carving away the road and sidewalks, leaving behind massive sinkholes. to 8:30 p.m., according to a Howard County rain gauge. More than 4.5 inches fell within one hour, from 7:30 p.m. Six and a half inches of rain dumped on Ellicott City in about two hours Saturday night, a deluge expected to occur only once every thousand years. This causes water levels to rise, and rise, and rise.Flooding can cause billions in damaged and can be cause by numerous things such as hurricanes or unusual rainy periods and have unfortunately caused deaths in Ellicott City.Įllicott City gets rainfall expected only once every millennium Ellicott City July 30 (Photo by Josh Zimmerman)īy Scott Dance ( The Baltimore Sun) – July 31, 2016 It then backs up like how a dam backs up water. Water rushed from all directions until the larger Patapsco River can’t handle the volume. The valley and large water confluence causes the natural watershed to be turned into a river itself. The Patapsco can carry larger amounts of water than the Tiber River can, adding to the quickness of the flooding downtown. The Tiber River is tiny compared to the Patapsco River. Tiber River watershed, adapted from Google Maps This makes water from almost all directions converge in the valley to the Tiber River before being emptied in the Patapsco. Another issue is that Ellicott City sits in a shallow valley, with many of the expanding buildings and homes having to be build literally over the Tiber river. So what makes it so prone?įirst of all, Ellicott City sits at the confluence of the Tiber and Patapsco Rivers. There has been at least four different major floods in recorded history in Downtown Ellicott City. Lower Ellicott City had been prone to flooding since it was founded. As we consider next steps, let’s step back and get a better understanding of the big picture. Significant work has already been done to understand the challenges and identify the work to be done. Short-term planning needs to consider long-term requirements for improved flood mitigation. Īs we mourn the deaths of two people, the torment inflicted on residents and businesses, and the loss we feel as a community from the July 30th flood, planning has begun for the city’s restoration.Įllicott City has a long history of flooding, and each time has recovered better than before.
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