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Floodwaters surge in Maryland town

 
Water rushes through Main Street in Ellicott City, Md., Sunday, May 27, 2018. Flash flooding and water rescues are being reported in Maryland as heavy rain soaks much of the state. (Libby Solomon/The Baltimore Sun via AP) MDBAE705
Water rushes through Main Street in Ellicott City, Md., Sunday, May 27, 2018. Flash flooding and water rescues are being reported in Maryland as heavy rain soaks much of the state. (Libby Solomon/The Baltimore Sun via AP) MDBAE705
Published May 27, 2018

Crews were engaged in multiple water rescues and buildings collapsed in historic Ellicott City on Sunday evening as floodwaters raged through its streets following torrential thunderstorms, Howard County, Maryland, officials said.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced at 6:40 p.m. he had declared a state of emergency in Howard County.

The Howard County fire department warned people trapped on the city's Main Street to climb to the second floors of buildings as they awaited rescue and said the damage could rival devastating floods that occurred there in 2016. No injuries were immediately reported.

"This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC situation and you must move to HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY AND STAY AWAY FROM ANYWHERE WHERE WATER IS MOVING," the National Weather Service warned in a 5:30 p.m. tweet.

Howard County public information officer Mark Miller said a torrent of water was rushing through the streets.

"The town is flooding," Miller said. "All of our first responders are responding."

Videos taken on Ellicott City's Main Street show boiling brown waters flowing down the street, carrying debris and trash. The waters spilled into doors and windows and twisted traffic lights.

Abigail Conte, 19, was at the Bean Hollow coffee shop in the historic section of the city when the rains began this afternoon. She said the staff announced they were closing around 3:45 because of a flood warning.

She left the shop and began to make her way to her car about a half-mile away.

"As I was walking outside, the street was becoming a river," Conte said.

She came to an intersection where it became too dangerous to continue. She eventually sought shelter at Cottage Antiques. As of about 6:30 p.m., she said she was trapped on the second floor of the building and had moved into a backroom because she was afraid a telephone pole might collapse on the shop.

Ellicott City sustained severe damage in a July 30, 2016, flash flood that killed two people.