Flash Flood — Howard, Maryland

2018-05-27 · near Ellicott City, Howard, Maryland

Event narrative

Catastrophic flash flooding occurred in Ellicott City as a result of torrential short-term rainfall of 6-10 inches. One person died during a lull in the flooding when he attempted to help another person evacuate and was swept away. Floodwaters on the lower portion of Main Street in the 8000 block reached the bottom of second floors of businesses. In all, dozens of water rescues were performed, most from buildings.

Wider weather episode

A cold front sagged into Maryland during the afternoon of May 27th. Heavy rain trained to the northeast of Baltimore early in the afternoon, causing flash flooding. Then, later in the afternoon, the line completely stalled just west of Baltimore, producing 6-12 inches of rain in a very short period of time. Catastrophic flash flooding occurred in the Ellicott City and Catonsville areas, with significant flooding also observed in other nearby areas. Stream flooding continued through the next morning.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.2717, -76.8165)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 759999. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.