Cleanup crews were at work Monday in Ellicott City, Maryland, following dramatic weekend flooding that killed two, swept cars around like driftwood, and destroyed 18th century buildings. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency for Howard County — located between the US capital and the port city of Baltimore — on Sunday after powerful thunderstorms ripped through the region late Saturday. At least two people died when their vehicles were swept away by the flood, Howard County Police Chief Gary Gardner said. Nearly six inches (15 centimeters) of rain fell within a two-hour period at the height of the storm, the equivalent of a month of normal rainfall, the National Weather Service said. Hardest hit was historic downtown Ellicott City, founded in 1772 and located near the Patapsco River. The colossal downpour focused the floodwater on the town, where fast-moving waves lifted cars on top of each other and ripped up roads and sidewalks. Some 25 buildings and 170 cars were destroyed or damaged, local media reported. Police evacuated the downtown area and closed it until further notice. Several cars were left stranded in waist-high piles of mud. Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said the flooding in Ellicott City was worse than that from Hurricane Agnes in 1972. "I don't believe there's ever been a flood and the devastation that we've had overnight in Ellicott City," he said in an interview with Baltimore's WBAL NewsRadio. County spokesman Andy Barth said a man and a woman were killed. The woman's body was recovered from the river overnight. Barth said every business near the river on the town's historic Main Street had suffered major damage, including building fronts torn off and doors stripped away. In all, at least four properties were completely destroyed and another 20 to 30 buildings were badly damaged, Kittleman said in a statement. Howard County officials posted a photo on social media of a glass and wood storefront with its foundation ripped away, leaving a void where wooden struts were installed as a work crew tried to stabilize the building. Firefighters rescued about 120 people and emergency workers were also dealing with a water main break, Howard County said in a statement. On a video posted online, men formed a human chain to get a woman trapped by raging waters out of her car. Television footage showed a downtown street collapsed, power poles down, mud-covered roads and cars tossed onto one another.
