Man Missing After ‘Once-Every-1000-Years’ Flood Devastates Ellicott City

Water rushes through Main Street in Ellicott City, Md., Sunday, May 27, 2018. Flash floodi
Libby Solomon/The Baltimore Sun via AP
Joshua Caplan

One person is missing in flash flooding that struck Maryland’s Ellicott City on Sunday, says Howard County executive Allan Kittleman.

The man has not been seen since about 5:20 p.m. Sunday, when brown water was raging down Main Street.

Kittleman said the missing man is in his 40s and is not a resident of the historic district. He did not identify him further.

He said emergency workers are “making every effort to locate that individual.”

Most of the town’s building structures, which experienced similar flash flooding two years ago, were badly damaged.

After the flood subsided, a visibly shaken Gov. Larry Hogan surveyed the damage on Main Street:

Amid the flood, Gov. Hogan signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency.

“Less than two years ago, the citizens of Howard County and Ellicott City went through a horrific ordeal, and sadly, they are facing a similar emergency today,” the order read.

“Our administration is closely monitoring the situation and working in partnership with local officials, including Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman, to respond to this extreme weather as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The order continued:

The immediate focus is ensuring everyone is safe and secure. The state will continue to provide all available resources to assist Howard County with their response to this extremely dangerous and ongoing situation. I strongly urge all Marylanders to monitor the weather, heed all warnings, and avoid the affected areas.

Addressing the media Sunday evening, Gov. Hogan called the “once-every-1000-years” flood “devastating” to the town:

On Monday, the Baltimore Sun’s Kevin Rector published photos showing the mass devastation caused by the flood:

The National Weather Service first warned residents of the storm’s potentially catastrophic impact at 4:40 p.m. Eastern:

Shortly after, videos began circulating social media showing flash floods roaring through the town, destroying buildings and washing away vehicles:

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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