Cleanup Underway After Flooding In Parts Of Baltimore City Following Heavy Rains
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A slow-moving, single stationary storm brought so much rain to Baltimore that several neighborhoods flooded in the city Tuesday evening.
Photos and videos from across social media showed what looked like a river running through the streets of Baltimore in Little Italy, Harbor East and Fells Point.
WJZ spoke to one woman who said she had to swim out of her car window to safety to survive the flooding.
Along South Caroline Street, cars were submerged underwater. Stephanie said she was driving home to escape the storm when her car got stuck.
"All of the sudden my engine just stopped and I was just floating and swirling around," she said. "Before I know it, the water keeps coming in."
She told WJZ the water was filling up so fast that the only way out was through her window.
"I clicked it open just in time to roll down the window," Stephanie said. "So I roll down the window and I literally just swim out."
Twitter User @SarahBalt42 posted multiple photos of roads flooded near South Eden and Fleet streets. In the photos, you can see a man sitting on top of his car waiting to be rescued. In another, a family is trying to stay safe as water rushes by them.
Video also showed flooding along Aliceanna Street- taking trash cans and other debris with it.
Erin McGoff tweeted she had to wade through a river with her puppy.
This video showed the weather near Penn Station.
"Crazy dime-to-nickel size hail in Upper Fells at S Wolfe and E Lombard. Torrential rain from t-storm sitting over Baltimore. Easily tropical storm force gusts at times as wind is changing direction from East to North," tweeted Dave Trausneck.
Gabe shared this video of what it looked like in Fells Point.
Another photo showed flooding on Fleet Street in Harbor East out in front of the Whole Foods.
The city's Office of Emergency Management warned residents to stay inside until the flooding subsided and said multiple manhole covers popped up due to flooding.
They asked people who saw missing manhole covers to call 311 and to post photos of flooded roads on social media with location and time.
The city's firefighters union said their members responded to multiple fires and requests for services in the wake of the storm.
One fire, a three-alarm blaze, was caused by a lightning strike, officials said.
Baltimore Firefighters Battling Three-Alarm Fire Caused By Lightning Strike
There were also downed trees along the highway in stopped traffic- and in Patterson Park, branches snapped like toothpicks.
"Suddenly I heard a couple of thunderclaps, and it sounded like the entire world was coming to an end around me," Justin Streim, of Patterson Park, said.
The storm caused havoc around the city and forced neighbors to clean up the mess left behind.
"I figured since people are trying to kill themselves in the street so I'm trying to make a path for them," Matthew Liberto, of Patterson Park, said.
BGE reported more than 7,700 customers were without power as of 8 pm.
Officials are urging residents to stay away from the flooded streets and any downed trees or power lines.
If you have photos and videos of the storm you can safely share, send them via email to newsroom@wjz.com or use #BeOnWJZ on social media.
Stay up-to-date with the latest forecast by downloading the WJZ weather app.
