Storm Damage: Flooding, Road Closures and Downed Trees

A rain storm that poured down on the county overnight on Wednesday caused flooding, road closures and downed trees.

The storm swept through Maryland leaving approximately two inches of rainfall in an 18-hour period, according to National Weather Service (NWS) data.

On Main Street in Historic Ellicott City, the Patapsco River rose so high it nearly reached the bridge that leads into Catonsville. Officials closed Main Street in the morning due to flooding and some businesses were dealing with the after-effects.

Phoenix Emporium, Great Panes and Discoveries were just some of the Main Street businesses that said they experienced flooding due to the storm.

“You get used to it,” said Len Berkowitz, owner of Great Panes, who was cleaning up flooding in the store’s basement. On the bright side, business owners said the flooding wasn’t as serious as when Tropical Storm Lee rolled through in September 2011.

In Laurel, the Patuxent River rose to 12.9 feet Thursday, exceeding its 9.5-foot flood stage by over three feet, according to NWS.

The rising river resulted in Sanitary Commission officials releasing water from Brighton Dam in Brookeville and the T. Howard Duckett Dam in Laurel. Laurel Mayor Craig Moe advised residents and businesses near the river in Downtown Laurel to evacuate around 1:30 p.m. as the Patuxent rose to the level of the bridge at Washington Boulevard, Route 1.

In Columbia, a large tree was uproot and fell onto a garage near the 10600 block of Green Mountain Circle around 8 a.m Thursday. No one was injured when the tree fell, but a fire department spokesperson suspected the building would be posted as uninhabitable.

On Friday, the harsh weather is likely to continue. Less than an inch of snow is predicted with winds blowing around 20 mph, with gusts as strong as 40 mph, according to NWS.

Related Articles

Laurel Officials Continue to Monitor Surging Patuxent

Ellicott City Flooding 'You Get Used to it'

Patapsco River Goes 'Completely' Over its Bank in Ellicott City (UPDATED)

Tree Collapses on a Home in Columbia

Patch Editors Lisa Rossi, Brandie Jefferson and John Davisson contributed to this this report.