![]() ![]() Residents gather by a bridge to look at cars left crumpled in one of the tributaries of the Patapsco River that burst its banks as it channeled through historic Main Street in Ellicott City, Md., Monday, May 28, 2018. Kittleman reportedly said damage from the most recent storm is worse then two years ago. There’s currently not an estimate for the damage from Sunday’s flood, and officials have just started the process of identifying and securing money for the latest recovery effort. ![]() After the 2016 flood, nonprofits, Howard County, the state of Maryland and the federal government contributed millions of dollars via funding, grants and loans to help rebuild the area. ![]() Organizations such as Preservation Maryland already have launched recovery funds to raise money for rebuilding. The first part of that effort involves installing 48 stream gauges at 16 locations in the roughly four-mile watershed in June. Department of Homeland Services and the National Weather Service to bolster flood warning systems in Ellicott City. Kittleman announced a partnership between the county, the U.S. Little more than a week ago County Executive Allan H. the design of a Hudson Branch Stormwater Retention Facility at the Route 29 and Route 40 interchange and improvements to storm drains along Old Columbia Pike, Emory and Church streets, according to the county. Those projects include a culvert expansion at 8600 Main St. Howard County is in the process of building and designing several projects aimed at containing flood water in higher portions of the watershed during storms. “I’d love to help people rebuild Ellicott City, but not if it’s going to be the same,” she said. Kwon said her organization declined to participate because the gardens would have been an ineffective gesture when more meaningful investment is needed to ensure safety. The Center for Watershed Protection, which was previously based in old Ellicott City, was approached about building rain gardens downtown after the 2016 flood. Overhauling the historic community, a thriving retail center in an affluent Baltimore suburb, to limit storm damage may mean eliminating some buildings, using the area for park land instead, and investing in other natural storm water management tools, Kwon said. The aftermath of Sunday’s storm is likely to kindle the same discussions held in other parts of the country where natural disasters routinely strike: How much it will cost to permanently protect the damaged community? Who pays? Is it worth it? The latest flood comes less than two years after a similar storm dumped nearly 6 inches of rain in a two-hour period on the historic downtown, causing a flash flood that killed two people, destroyed businesses, swept away cars, and caused an estimated $22.4 million in damage. Howard County Police identified a body found in the Patapsco River on Tuesday as that of 39-year-old Eddison Hermond, an Army National Guard member, who went missing while helping rescue a pet from flood waters. More than 8 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours on Sunday and sent a cascade of muddy water rushing down Main Street, destroying cars, businesses and killing one man. “It’s in the flood plain … if we’re going to invest in rebuilding Ellicott City it needs to be in a drastically different way,” Kwon said. While there have been efforts to mitigate the impact of flooding, she said, ultimately there’s only so much that can be done because of its location in the Tiber-Hudson watershed. Hye Yeong Kwon, executive director of the Center for Watershed Protection, warned that the area is in a flood plain and would be inundated by water again. By: Adam Bednar Daily Record Business Writer May 29, 2018Īny rebuilding of historic old Ellicott City requires profoundly rethinking the use of the former mill town, according to one expert. ![]()
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