(CNN) Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency Sunday in Howard County as a massive storm drenched the Baltimore region, triggering flash floods in Ellicott City.
Brown water rushed through Ellicott City's historic Main Street, toppling buildings and upending cars, as the nearby Patapsco River swelled to a record-breaking level. In some areas, water levels reached above the first floor of buildings, Howard County Fire and EMS said.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said in a Sunday night news conference.
The devastation was especially hard to comprehend coming barely two years after the last flood that ravaged the city, he said. The disaster left two dead and damaged dozens of buildings.
The city rallied around the slogan "Elliott City Strong." Many businesses had just finished rebuilding, Kittleman said.
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CLOSE Flash floods struck a Maryland community wracked by similar flooding in 2016, authorities said, and water rescues were being carried out as raging brown waters surged through the streets Sunday. (May 27) AP
Water rushes through Main Street in Ellicott City, Md., Sunday, May 27, 2018. After the floodwaters receded, emergency officials had no immediate reports of fatalities or injuries. But by nightfall first responders and rescue officials were still going through the muddied, damaged downtown, conducting safety checks and ensuring people evacuated. (Photo: Libby Solomon/The Baltimore Sun via AP)
Scenes of devastating damage — and feelings of aching familiarity — overwhelmed residents of a small Maryland town Sunday as flash floods ripped through the area, topping similar havoc wreaked on Ellicott City in 2016.
Although as of late Sunday there were still no reports of casualties, videos and photos broadcast on regional media outlets and social media platforms showed huge walls of brown water ripping through the town, which is 13 miles west of Baltimore along the east bank of Maryland's Patapsco River.
Rescue workers were out in force helping the stranded, braving flood waters that in some instances lifted automobiles to the first floor of some buildings. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who declared a state of emergency for the flooded community, visited the area as the sun began to go down.
The National Weather Service said a flash flood warning was issued for the area through Sunday evening, calling it an "extremely dangerous situation" and urging motorists not to attempt to navigate flooded roads.
Some residents of Ellicott City told The Baltimore Sun the flooding appeared to be worse than the 2016 flooding that killed two people and destroyed local businesses.
Two years ago, 6.5 inches of rain fell on the town in just three hours. Meteorologists called the rainfall a rare "1-in-1,000-year event" that has been happening with unprecedented frequency in recent years.
Water is back up, and more rain coming our way. pic.twitter.com/RCMjcIkPFn — Libby Solomon (@libsolomon) May 27, 2018
In 2016, the small town's main street turned into a raging river, carrying away cars and other debris and forcing dramatic rescues of people trapped in the flood. Two residents died in the flood waters.
The fast moving waters also tore away portions of the street and many storefronts, leaving the quaint shopping district in a shambles.
Some of those scenes of physical devastation appear to have repeated themselves Sunday.
I just made it nearly all the way down Ellicott City’s Main Street. It’s destroyed. Caplan’s is gutted just like in 2016. Many other storefronts, too. pic.twitter.com/FJNWNZ6hGp — Kevin Rector (@RectorSun) May 28, 2018
Tweets posted by Kevin Rector, a reporter for the Baltimore Sun whose website says he is a native of Ellicott City, show in photos and videos scenes of damaged storefronts and washed out roads. Vehicles sometimes have water up to their roofs.
Rector reported that a wedding taking place in the town carried on despite the weather mayhem, with the wedding party eventually being evacuated to higher ground.
Other images included those of rescue workers checking damaged buildings, cars tipped over like toy vehicles, and the governor walking around the town and, later, asking the merely curious to stay away.
The damage in #EllicottCity at the top of Main Street is worse than 2016. Ellicott Mills Dr. completely washed out. A wedding party was evacuated from Main Street Ballroom. pic.twitter.com/XLbPrubx6u — Kevin Rector (@RectorSun) May 27, 2018
The reporter made his way into the town because he was a native, he said. But he added that because he covered the same flooding two years ago, "this is emotional."
The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services tweeted that multiple rescues were carried out, and rescue swimmers were called in to help. Swift water units from as far away as Northern Virginia were coming to help, the department said.
"If you are trapped, we are coming," the department tweeted.
In case it’s not clear yet, stay away from Main Street. Please. pic.twitter.com/FO1HFpYqMo — Libby Solomon (@libsolomon) May 27, 2018
Officials opened a shelter at a community center in Ellicott City. There as yet remain no reports of fatalities, said Howard County spokeswoman Karen Spicer.
Meanwhile, some roads were also flooded in neighboring Baltimore County. A county spokeswoman there said the fire department has received dozens of calls about cars stuck in high water and flooded basements.
Contributing: Associated Press
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About eight inches of rain had as of 6 p.m. Sunday, according to radar estimates. (RadarScope)
(This post, originally published at 5:30 p.m., was updated at 10:00 p.m.)
For the second time in two years, Main Street in Ellicott City was transformed into a raging river as thunderstorms lined up and unloaded torrential rain. The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood emergency for the city at 4:40 p.m. Sunday, its most severe flood alert, and reported water rescues underway.
“This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC situation,” the National Weather Service warned.
Sunday’s flooding unfolded in a similar way to the 2016 flash flood in which six inches of rain fell in two hours and two people died. The National Weather Service said the 2016 event had a probability of occurrence of less than or equal to 1 in 1,000.
[Crews rescuing people as torrential floods hit Ellicott City]
Incredibly, even more rain may have fallen during Sunday’s deluge. Radar suggests that more than eight inches of rain fell around Ellicott City and Catonsville in just about three hours, mostly between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. A weather station in Catonsville, where a flash flood emergency was also declared, registered nearly 13 inches of rain in just three hours Sunday afternoon.
The National Weather issued a flash flood emergency for Ellicott City, Md., on May 27, saying it is an "EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC situation," after 3-6 inches of rain fell in just two hours. (JM Rieger/The Washington Post)
The flash-flood emergency in Ellicott City was originally in effect until 7:30 p.m., but was extended to 10:30 p.m. Another emergency warning was issued for locations along the Patapsco River in Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore counties around 6 p.m., where gauge reports indicated that a major flash flood was occurring.
By 10 p.m., radar showed the thunderstorms had finally died off.
As the torrent engulfed Ellicott City early Sunday evening, officials urged anyone in the area seek higher ground and not to drive on flooded roads.
**PLEASE RETWEET**
If you are in the downtown Ellicott City area or know of family/friends who live there: Please AVOID the downtown area. If you are in a vehicle – DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH FLOOD WATER. Turn Around, Don't Drown. — Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MDMEMA) (@MDMEMA) May 27, 2018
Strong thunderstorms formed and reformed in the zone between Ellicott City and Baltimore, unloading extreme rainfall in a process known as training. Flooding was also reported in downtown Baltimore and Columbia.
Atmospheric moisture levels — near record-high levels — fueled the onslaught of storms.
This is the 15th catastrophic flash flood to hit the Ellicott City area since 1768 according to Preservation Maryland.
Below are some photos and video. Please note that these videos are unedited and some contain foul language.
no smarmy comment A post shared by Sameera Mukhtar (@sameeramukhtar) on May 27, 2018 at 1:54pm PDT
In case it’s not clear yet, stay away from Main Street. Please. pic.twitter.com/FO1HFpYqMo — Libby Solomon (@libsolomon) May 27, 2018
A wall of water taking over #ellicottcity right now. pic.twitter.com/Zx15gAievG — Liz McKernan (@LizMcKernan) May 27, 2018
A look at the sheer force of the flood waters in #EllicottCity. ( @DieRobinsonDie) pic.twitter.com/orbEJ5JgHz — Kevin Rincon (@KevRincon) May 27, 2018
Photos of rescue personnel surveying damage in Ellicott City – via @libsolomon pic.twitter.com/TtJoxmV44B — Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) May 28, 2018
Howard Co Fire and Rescue going door to door to check for occupants and safety of structures pic.twitter.com/cz4QVEbIki — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) May 28, 2018
