Cleanup Begins After Severe Storms Hit Md., Flood Sections Of Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Severe storms may be approaching Maryland. For the third straight day, thunderstorms are possible in the region.
Mike Hellgren has the latest on the damage these storms are causing.
The blinding rain overwhelmed drains, flooding parts of Baltimore as the storm tore through Maryland, cutting power to more than 30,000 BGE customers. It's just the latest dose of wild weather.
"I'd just look up and say, 'Oh, my God. What's happening?' I thought we were under attack," said John Ostrowski, of Fells Point. "It sounded like a war."
Amateur video shows South Caroline Street. At the peak of the storm, it was covered in knee-high water, flooding several cars. Some drivers were bold enough to plow through it.
Less than 24 hours later, the water has receded, and they spent hours trying to clean up the debris that covered the roadway.
"All this was a whole bunch of mulch and everything. We've been cleaning since 6 o'clock this morning," said Tavon Miles.
The flooding looked "like a river," Miles said. "You could have a canoe boat coming down any one of these streets. It's crazy. Crazy. Our second shift is coming in. They've got their hands full, too."
And they're not the only ones. Part of the roof in the lobby of the Hilton downtown collapsed. Garbage littered some streets.
BGE crews worked through the night to repair downed lines.
"We're still in storm mode, so our storm center is still up and running. We continue to monitor the weather," said Rachael Lightly, BGE.
Paul Kropfeld manages several properties in Fells Point that flooded.
"Either it's the litter or the leaves during the storm season," Kropfeld said. "The city just can't keep up with all these storms we're having. It's tough."
Like many, he'll be keeping an eye on the ominous sky knowing how bad it could get in an instant.
Baltimore City police blocked several intersections because of the flooding.
