The 2016 Maryland flood was a

natural disaster A natural disaster is "the negative impact following an actual occurrence of natural hazard in the event that it significantly harms a community". A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves some econ ...

in the United States that took place on July 30, 2016. The flooding, which occurred in the Baltimore area, affected low-lying areas of the Patapsco and

Jones Falls The Jones Falls is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 stream in Maryland. It is impounded to create Lake Roland before running through the city of Baltim ...

valleys. The storm caused significant damage to the historic downtown area of

Ellicott City Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the mo ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Flood event

Governor Hogan Tours Old Ellicott City (28316091483)

On the evening of July 30, a severe thunderstorm moved into the area of Ellicott City where it dumped an estimated of rain in two hours. The

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...

that resulted inflicted severe damage to the area primarily on Main Street (

Maryland Route 144 Maryland Route 144 (MD 144) is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 40 (US 40) between Cumberland and Baltimore. Along with US 40 Scenic, US 40 Alternate, ...

). Flooding damaged many homes, businesses, sidewalks, and landmarks, including the city's landmark clock.

Maryland Governor The Governor of the State of Maryland is the head of government of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers ...

Larry Hogan Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 62nd governor of Maryland since 2015. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he was secretary of appointments under Maryland governor Bo ...

declared a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

and at least two people were confirmed to have died (Jessica Watsula, 35, and Joseph A. Blevins, 38).

Aftermath

Main Street remained closed for more than two months as businesses and residents cleaned up from the floods and began repairing damaged buildings and sidewalks. The street reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic on October 6, 2016. The Howard County Councilman Jon Weinstein (District 1) attempted to put a moratorium on development throughout the Tiber-Hudson watershed, but the push was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing further development.

References

{{Patapsco Valley Maryland flood 2016 in Maryland Floods in Maryland July 2016 events in the United States Ellicott City, Maryland Natural disasters in Maryland

Flood event

Aftermath

See also

References