Historic Maryland town faces long recovery after flood

WASHINGTON — The picturesque Main Street of Ellicott City, Md., faces a months-long recovery that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars after devastating flooding left two dead and damaged nearly every home and business along the road, officials said.

The two died when the town about 14 miles west of Baltimore took on 6.5 inches of water Saturday night, most of it between 7 and 9 p.m., sweeping away hundreds of cars, tearing away sidewalks and wrecking storefronts and building foundations.

Videos posted on social media showed floodwaters rushing down Main Street, which slopes dramatically toward the river, and sweeping away cars.

In one video posted to the Facebook page of an art gallery, several people can be seen forming a human chain to rescue a woman from a car that was being carried down the street by waist-high water.

Courtney Weglein, 35, of Ellicott City headed to the historic downtown to meet friends Saturday night, but when she got to Jonathan Butkus’ second-floor apartment, Weglein said water was coming in and the landlord soon said people had to get out.

Jason Elliott, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the town was hit by a series of strong thunderstorms that dumped heavy rain over a 2-hour period.