Maryland Weather: Heavy Rain Brings Flash Flooding To Parts Of State; Multiple People Rescued From Stranded Vehicles
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Thunderstorms packing heavy rain led to flash flooding across parts of Maryland Wednesday.
The storms brought one to two inches of rain in a short period of time, with some isolated areas seeing up to four inches.
Parts of Howard County saw floodwaters tear up trees and knock down power lines. Numerous roads were closed due to high water.
Flash flooding triggered sirens to sound in low-lying historic Ellicott City. Officials said when the sirens sound, people should seek higher ground.
Historic #EllicottCityMD Main Street from Rogers Avenue to Maryland Avenue is currently CLOSED to all traffic. All higher ground access point gates are unlocked if needed; see https://t.co/3BbzFS4psi for location of gates. https://t.co/6U9Zcx1aMf
— Howard County Gov't (@HoCoGov) August 12, 2020
Whenever it rains in Ellicott City, residents think back to devastating floods in 2016 and 2018. Wednesday was no different for Chuck Kindred, a bartender at Phoenix Upper Main.
"The river was moving pretty good underneath our building," he said.
In nearby Oella, devastating rain flooded parts of the Patapsco River.
Off Bonnie Branch Road, Bridgette Stumpf saw what she described as a river of debris.
"It sort of looked like just a wave washing onto the main road," she said.
Near the Howard-Anne Arundel County line, crews were called to rescue a driver whose vehicle was swept away by several feet of water. The driver was on the roof of the vehicle waiting to be rescued.
Race Road at #AACoMD and #HiCoMD line | #SpecialOperations #SwiftWater team and mutual aid support from @ArbutusVFD are actively working to rescue the driver of a vehicle that was swept off the road into the steam | Driver on roof awaiting rescue.
— Howard Co Fire & EMS (@HCDFRS) August 13, 2020
Flooding was also reported in parts of Baltimore.
Emergency crews responded to multiple water rescues, including one on Key Highway in which good Samaritans tried to use their own car to pull another car from the water.
The driver of the flooded vehicle, Conor Gray, said he misjudged how deep the water was.
"I tried to put it in park and it just shut off on me all at once," he said.
Water rescue underway along Key Hwy. The driver tells us he wasn't able to see the flood waters. @wjz pic.twitter.com/ZIj0dP9n8G
— Rachel Menitoff (@RachelMenitoff) August 12, 2020
Also in south Baltimore, water quickly filled city streets, leaving some vehicles up to their hoods.
Totally flooded right now in my part of south Baltimore - this is the corner of Race and West. pic.twitter.com/67uxnRedZg
— Taylor Hadley (@TaylorHadleyPR) August 12, 2020
Leadenhall Street flooding (cross street there is West) pic.twitter.com/7PlvOYq3TI
— Taylor Hadley (@TaylorHadleyPR) August 12, 2020
As quickly as the storms arrived, they left, leaving behind wet streets and vehicles in need of repairs.
Gray said the storm also showed the power of a helping hand.
"The people at 7-Eleven and some bystanders, (it) goes to show that even though it's a pandemic and some pretty tough times, people are still willing to help out other people," he said.
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