Community Corner

HoCo Commuters: Don't Drive Through Moving Water

Storms Monday afternoon caused flooding, traffic light outages and damage from lightning.

Howard County Fire and Rescue officials are warning residents to avoid driving through moving water as they start their evening commute, as the area is under a flash flood warning until 6:15 p.m.

No cars have washed off the road in Howard County as of 4 p.m. Monday, though one washed off the roadway in Carroll County, said Howard County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Gordon Wallace.

At about 3 p.m., “a car encountered a flooded road and was pushed off the side of the road,” . The driver wasn't hurt. 

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Driving through moving water is dangerous because “you don’t know how deep it is,” said Wallace. “You don’t know how much water will move a car or disable a car.”

The storm damage Monday includes:

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- A lightning strike this afternoon damaged a chimney on a single-family home in Columbia.

- A traffic light out at U.S. 40 and Rogers Avenue in Ellicott City, according to Howard County police spokeswoman Elizabeth Schroen.

- A small tree down at the intersection of Marriottsville and Frederick Roads in Ellicott City as well, she said.

- In Jessup, there is flooding on Route 1 at Cedar Avenue, said Schroen.

Got any storm photos or tips? E-mail lisa.rossi@patch.com.

Editor Brandie Jefferson contributed to this report.


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