We got Hammered in Ellicott City

[vmax]

This was the worst rain storm that I have experienced in my life. That goes all the way back to Hurricane Agnes. 6" in 2 hours and my whole street became a river.

We saw a video taken from the second floor of a restaurant showing 3 girls, that my kids knew, getting swept down the street. Fortunately they escaped.

I wanted to take a bike ride today in Patapsco State Park but they would not let me in. They said the water got up to the Rangers station.

Ellicott City which is right next to Catonsville is such a cool, hip place....ahead of the times. It's got Soul.

I am so sad to see what happened, but we'll recover again.

 

The clock is gone...

[Spen]

Max, I hope you and your family, and your property are all OK. Pretty horrific videos from last night.

[cravnravn]

That stuff made our local news, what devastating footage.

[GrubberRaven]

Max, all the best. Ellicott City is one of those hidden gems of MD. We hope you are ok.

[Robjr83]

Crazy footage of the flood. The one where the girl got rescued from the car was chilling. I don't know if I could risk my life for a stranger, not to sound like an asshole just would my instincts for self preservation go out the window. The guy was wading thru hip deep water to pull her out of her car, the current knocked him down several times. Glad your ok

[deeshopper]

My neighbor's daughter just got back from her honeymoon last Sunday. They can't get into their place. His car is fine; hers is totaled.

[vmax]

We're good here but you can't get near Ellicott City.

Every few years the lower portion of town get's wiped out. They need the Army Corps of Engineers to put in a massive storm drain and water channelling system.

Do it now while everything is ripped up.

 

Ellicott City made the list of the 50 most Zen cities in America at #32...

 

 

 

Using data from Dun & Bradstreet, FindTheHome teamed up with FindTheCompany to create a “Zen-dex” that combines the number of yoga studios and alternative medicine businesses per 10K people in cities with over 60K people. From these numbers, they determined the top 50 most zen cities in America. ”
http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/fitness/the-50-most-zen-cities-in-america/ss-AAdBGKk?ocid=iehp

 

“32. Ellicott City, Maryland
Zendex Score: 96.63
Yoga studios per 10K people: 0.6
Alternative medicine clinics per 10K people: 2.8
Population: 66,725”

 

"Now you know why I'm so deep and spiritual...

[vmax]

 

 

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Ravens receiver/return specialist Michael Campanaro has been injured often during his career.

However, it should be said he knows how to heal.

Campanaro, a River Hill graduate whose brother lives approximately one mile from Ellicott City, Md.'s flood-damaged Main Street, helped announce the Ravens' charitable initiative to help disaster victims.

The Ravens will donate $10,000 to the United Way, who have set up an EC Strong fund. Anyone interested in donating can also text 51555 to "EC Strong" and contribute as well.

"It was tough [watching the flood footage]," Campanaro said. "One of the first things I did was to check on my brother to see if he was OK.

"It was awesome, seeing some of the ways people were helping each other out."

T-shirts emblazoned with "I (heart) EC" were worn by Ravens staff members at practice and can be purchased at 98online.com, with proceeds going toward the victims of the July 30 flood. The heart is filled in with the Maryland state flag design...https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/08/03/ravens-training-camp-day-6-reaching-out-to-ellicott-city

[papasmurfbell]

We're good here but you can't get near Ellicott City.

Every few years the lower portion of town get's wiped out. They need the Army Corps of Engineers to put in a massive storm drain and water channelling system.

Do it now while everything is ripped up.

 

Ellicott City made the list of the 50 most Zen cities in America at #32...

 

 

“32. Ellicott City, Maryland

Zendex Score: 96.63

Yoga studios per 10K people: 0.6

Alternative medicine clinics per 10K people: 2.8

Population: 66,725”

 

"Now you know why I'm so deep and spiritual...

Like New Orleans they need to let the lower portion of EC go. This will happen over and over so itis a waste of money to rebuild it.

[dc.]

Ellicott City isn't as bad as NO in this respect. Much of the problem in Ellicott City was engineering that was limited by the historic nature of the area - lots of development, but insufficient changes in infrastructure to support.

 

That can be changed and likely will be at this point. The problem in that regard is far less intractable than the issues in New Orleans. Really, every region - including Towson - have areas that become more prone to these issues over time. The strategy isn't to abandon but adjust.

[papasmurfbell]

Look at LA now. Matbe the whole state should be abandoned.

[thundercleetz]

Look at LA now. Matbe the whole state should be abandoned.

What do you think should be done with EC?

[papasmurfbell]

Everything on main st from where the damage starts to teh river should be razed. Nothing should be built on the low lying area. This will happen again and again. Since the street is ripped apart put a giant drainage pipe under it to the river to help prevent that much water again.

[vmax]

The river takes a sharp bend toward Ellicott City at the base on Main St. Right before the bend, it aims straight for the city. So the water pours in from below and above.

I took a bike ride through the state park saturday. The water level signs on the trees was 15' above normal. Can't engineer that away.

[papasmurfbell]

Like I said 2 yrs ago Main St should be abandoned. We should not be spending good tax money to fin what will be flooded sooner rather than later again.

[deeshopper]

They keep developing north of Main Street. Where else is the water going to go?

[papasmurfbell]

Even without development the hills are all just stone. The water can't be absorbed. Also storms that were once a century are now happening every few yrs.

[deeshopper]

https://envisionfrederickcounty.org/ellicott-city-flood-stop-calling-it-a-natural-disaster/

[GrubberRaven]

What went through Frederick a few weeks ago was nuts, but the water system built years ago handled it well enough. I guess that's not an option for Ellicott City?

[papasmurfbell]

There is just not enough storm drainage to deal with that much water. Between the building up hill to these storms getting worse bc of climate change places like this need to be off limits.

[papasmurfbell]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/investigations/bs-md-ellicott-city-flood-next-steps-20180531-story.html

 

The engineering firm, McCormick Taylor, determined that about $35 million in immediate improvements were needed, including $13 million to build three large ponds to catch rainwater before it floods Main Street and sweeps away people, cars and businesses.

But it didn’t stop there. For the long term, the firm recommended a couple of options: drilling two tunnels, called bores, through the town’s hills at a cost of more than $60 million to redirect water away from downtown, or building 18 stormwater management projects that would cost about $85 million.

It was an expensive plan. The proposed capital budget for 2019, which covers building projects throughout the county, totals $165 million, $97 million of it already committed to paying off bonds for other projects.

Engineer Chris Brooks led the McCormick Taylor study. Even if Ellicott City spends millions to better trap and divert floodwaters, he said, there’s no guarantee those shops and restaurants won’t be washed away again. The study suggests even the most expensive and aggressive proposals would reduce peak flood levels by only 15 to 30 percent.

 

Let it go.

[tsylvester]

If you build in a flood plain, it will flood. I hate to see the cost of flood insurance there, so sad.

[papasmurfbell]

Exactly.

[tsylvester]

Maybe they should take some.lessons from Venice.... Maybe build it all on stilts, on automated risers lifting the buildings when the water level reachs x?

 

Costly yes, but jeepers.

[papasmurfbell]

Not with my tax dollars.