Several Ellicott City Businesses Reopen 3 Weeks After Destructive Flooding
ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- Some restaurants and shops are starting to reopen to the public after a deadly rush of water poured into Ellicott City nearly three weeks ago.
Main Street has gone from a disaster zone to a comeback in less than a month.
Some businesses now have the green light and the green sticker to open their doors. Like Randy Marriner's Manor Hill Tavern.
"Ellicott City is E.C. stronger, so we're happy to be leading the charge," Marriner said. "It's a small town and it's a smaller community. If we could have opened two weeks ago, we wouldn't have because I couldn't stand to be the only guy unaffected and making a profit while everyone else is suffering."
While volunteers cleaned and reconstructed Main Street, he cooked up his own contribution.
"The town was closed, so we thought what better to do than to open up and feed the town," Marriner said.
The free food is the kind of community spirit Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said is helping the town recover more quickly than it did after flooding in 2016.
"They are determined to come back. They're determined to work hard to make sure their town continues to flourish. I'm committed to making sure we don't abandon this town," Kittleman said
Business owners are hoping to draw back customers to the historic town as fast as possible.
A few restaurants on the perimeter are back in business, portions of Main Street will open to traffic starting Tuesday, allowing drivers to cross from Baltimore County into Howard County without a detour.
Manor Hill Tavern is selling "E.C. Strong" beer glasses, with the money going to the recovery effort.
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