Flooding in Ellicott City

[SunDance]

Oh my gosh...I knew we had some torrential downpours yesterday, had flash flood warnings in our area, and anticipated a lot of water in our raingauge (5.53")...but I had no idea of the devastation that was going to be wreaked.

I started out this morning by checking my normal sites, including a news site known as Patch. Patch indicated road closings, park closings, and devastation in downtown Ellicott City. Since "my" park was one that was indicated as closed (which normally doesn't affect me since I walk in, not drive), I decided to exercise at home and then take the dogs over for a relatively longer walk to check out what was going on. Someone told me that the lake path was horribly muddy on the Western end, so we walked to the mid-point (no problems) and then retraced our steps to go home. There were quite a few people in the park and I told a couple of dog walkers of the warning I'd gotten (no one wants muddy dogs...well, OK, that probably doesn't even begin to faze a lot of folks here because I've seen some of the pictures of deliriously happy muddy dogs on this site....but these were both hairy non-Lab dogs and the lake water is full of goose poop, so I figured those owners might react like I did). As I got closer to where we walk away from the lake, one of the park trucks drove up and the men were telling me that the park shouldn't have been opened (someone didn't see their text message) and they were telling people to leave. Again...didn't affect me because they knew where I was headed already. They were the ones who told me of the horrible videos they'd seen of the downtown area.

Downtown EC has been badly torn up by flooding in the past (mostly from hurricanes...and mostly not considered "flash" flooding...took a long time to recede), but this is the worst I've seen. Sidewalks and sides of building were torn up and washed away. Water broke shop/apartment windows and swept everything out into the streets and down to the river. Cars were all over the place. People screaming when they witnessed the devastation to their properties. Debris and mud/sand all over the place. Just really bad. One of the witnesses said that, true to the name "flash" flood, it was there in a heartbeat and then it was gone. I imagine that a lot of those old (!) buildings will be declared unsafe to fix...that water probably affected the foundations and brick/stone walls (some of the premises are actually built into rock, so some will most likely be OK eventually).

Our county has been declared a state of emergency...there are a lot of areas that are low lying (we're in one of them but not affected). The worst that happens to us (so far, anyhow) is that we have to rake every bit of our mulch back to where it belongs because it washes further downhill on our property, creates gullies, and needs to be fished out of the run off "stream" on the side of our property (most of that water actually is from seepage downhill and our one neighbor's sump pump). The little "stream" behind our property is just from our street's storm drains.

I'd said I wanted more rain (I actually started watering stuff last weekend), but this sure wasn't what I had in mind.

[barry581]

Wow! I was watching the weather yesterday, trying to figure if it was going to hit us. From looking at the radar I could tell you were getting pounded over there. Luckily it went to the north of us.

[SunDance]

We just did a tour of the backyard. I wasn't kidding when I said "every bit of mulch" would need raking back to its intended area. We decided to put down river rock in a lot of the areas/paths where we've had wash out four times previously, this year alone. (Normally, we might have to rake once over the entire Summer...but a weatherman friend of mine says that we'll be getting more frequent/heavier storms from now on. Hurricanes should be less frequent but more violent but regular storms will pick up in both areas.) We have to replace some of the rubber mulch in areas where it seems to have disappeared as opposed to piling up elsewhere but Bob's main chore will involve much heavier stone. At least that'll make future activities a bit less of a pain in the posterior. Potentially.

The erosion under our fence on the run off "stream" side is horrible. Bob replaced the fence last year and made even bigger cement footers for the posts than the fence company had used (32 years prior to last year's replacement...held up well, just shifted the posts). We decided to put river rock along the fence line, too. That way the water can still come through but, hopefully, not take the soil with it. I wish that run off was at least a nice stream instead of something that tends to dry up in the Summer (maybe it won't be in the future) and won't support true water-loving plants. The yellow flags like it but all of the other plants I'd put in the first year...when I thought it would be staying damper...decided they didn't like their location.

What's funny is that Ellicott City (where we are....next to Columbia, not near downtown) has earned the reputation for having a glass bubble over it in the Summer. Storms would approach us and then split or just totally disappear...and gather forces again after passing around EC. We normally have really dry Summers. Which I hate because I hate to water...it involves multiple sprinklers, tables for height, miles (well....) of hose....and a lot of testing position and getting soaked, and timing to make sure I switch things around when I've determined the amount of water I want. That's a round-the-clock week-long proposition to give everything 2" plus some handwatering....so that I can take a break and not aim for the recommended 1" a week (I'd rather get twice the bang for my effort buck). Anyway, I think our bubble may have gotten broken.

[Snowshoe]

Wow, I found some video. Very bad. Here, we need rain. I hope we don't experience that old saying, "It doesn't rain, but it pours" So sorry you've had that damage and so much work ahead of you to fix it.

[SunDance]

Wow, I found some video. Very bad. Here, we need rain. I hope we don't experience that old saying, "It doesn't rain, but it pours" So sorry you've had that damage and so much work ahead of you to fix it.

Thanks, Nancy. Bob's working on getting down his second load of river rocks (25 bags each load) and first load of 50 bags of rubber mulch. He's planning another trip to Home Depot sometime later today. This is definitely going to take him a while. (I can't rake and I can't lift...I'm worthless except to discuss and keep the supply of ice water flowing.)

[POPTOP]

Saw it on the news. Such devastation. Glad that your damage was limited, it could have been so much worse seeing the pictures.

Tell Bob to take it easy, that's hard work.

[barry581]

I couldn't believe the carnage caused by that storm. Glad you're ok!

[Rosy]

Tsk tsk hope everyone is okay, especially your family! Glad to know you're safe. I pray for you guys.

[charliebbarkin]

I've been following this and popping in here because I was thinking of you. Glad you are okay and damage is minor for you. I've seen pictures and videos of some pretty severe damage. Have to admit I was happy not to have to water but feel terrible for those out your way. Stay dry!

[smartrock]

We were at a crab feast at Patapsco St Park much of the afternoon on Saturday. I left for NC early Sunday morning and didn't even know about the flooding until this morning! Just looks terrible. I'm glad you're okay. Don't hurt yourselves getting your landscape back in order!