(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 and leaving one person missing.
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.
One person is missing following the Ellicott City flooding, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said Monday morning. The circumstances were not immediately known.
No fatalities were reported.
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.
"There are no words," he said. "It's heartbreaking."
Advisories in effect
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community about 12 miles west of Baltimore. Located in the valley of the Patapsco River, a major waterway flowing to Chesapeake Bay, Ellicott City is known for its flood-prone location as much as its historic downtown.
The river rose 17.8 feet in two hours on Sunday afternoon to 24.13 feet, a new record from the previous high of 23.6 feet.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for northeastern Anne Arundel County and southeastern Howard County through 12:45 a.m. Monday.
The NWS provided observed rainfall accumulations for the past 24 hours in the greater Baltimore area showing widespread observed amounts of three to six inches with isolated measurements exceeding nine inches.
Additional rainfall amounts of one inch could come, the NWS said. That may not sound like a lot, but any additional rainfall will exacerbate the flooding from the rain that has already fallen, and this will delay river levels from receding below flood stage quickly, CNN's Allison Chinchar said.
Close to 8 p.m., a Howard County Sheriff's deputy moved a CNN crew and others in the area due to a suspected gas leak.
Multiple rescues are under way. Howard County Fire and EMS urged residents to evacuate downtown or move to higher ground while rescue teams swarmed the area.
The Roger Carter Community Center is open for those who need a place to shelter.
A post shared by Sameera Mukhtar (@sameeramukhtar) on May 27, 2018 at 2:29pm PDT
Hogan toured the area Sunday with Kittleman. He lamented the destruction, noting that just two weeks earlier, he had visited the historic downtown and spoken with business owners about rebuilding efforts.
"The place looked terrific," he said. "It's just devastating because people have their lives tied up in this and went through a heck of a lot and came back and now they're starting all over again."
Kittleman said state and county resources would be made available to those who want to rebuild again.
He declined to answer a reporter's question about what could have been done differently to minimize the damage. The focus is on rescue and recovery, he said.
"Right now we're focusing on people's lives."
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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ELLICOTT CITY, Md. -- Roaring flash floods struck a Maryland community Sunday that had been wracked by similar devastation two years ago. Ellicott City's Main Street turned into a raging river that reached the first floor of some buildings and swept away parked cars, authorities and witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.
CBS Baltimore showed images of turbulent water rushing down Main Street -- the same area devastated by flash flooding in July 2016. That flood killed two people and destroyed local businesses.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency for the stricken area Sunday and traveled there for a firsthand look at the destruction.
"The immediate focus is ensuring everyone is safe and secure," Hogan said in a statement. "I strongly urge all Marylanders to monitor the weather, heed all warnings, and avoid the affected areas."
Footage of Sunday's flash flooding showed the seething floodwaters engulfing cars and pickup trucks. The Howard County Fire & EMS agency tweeted that water was above the first floor of some buildings at the height of the disaster.
Fire rescue crews were going door-to-door to make sure residents were not trapped in lower-level buildings, CBS Baltimore reports.
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.
Jessica Ur, a server at Pure Wine Cafe, told the paper she watched as gushing waters swept three or four parked cars down the street. She had been around the last time the area flooded, but said this time it appeared worse.
"It's significantly higher than it was before," she told the newspaper, comparing the floodwaters to those of 2016.
Libby Solomon/The Baltimore Sun via AP
Some reported a blaring alarm had sounded. Others said they gathered in the second story of a building to anxiously watch the seething waters. One sight during the flood: a handmade, white flag hung from an upper story of a Main Street building bearing the letters SOS.
"If you are trapped, we are coming," the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services tweeted at one point. It added that multiple rescues were carried out, and rescue swimmers were called in to help. The department also said swift water units from as far away as Northern Virginia were summoned.
Meanwhile, some roads were also flooded in neighboring Baltimore County. A spokeswoman in Baltimore County said the fire department has received dozens of calls about cars stuck in high water and flooded basements.
Ellicott City has been rebuilding since the 2016 flooding damaged and destroyed businesses. Local officials recently said that 96 percent of the businesses were back in operation and more than 20 new businesses had again opened in the Main Street area.
Just two weeks ago, Hogan announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had awarded the state and county more than $1 million to pay for projects aimed at reducing the flood risk in areas around Main Street.
On Sunday, officials opened a shelter at a community center in Ellicott City for the victims.
The disaster came on a day when the National Weather Service said a flash flood warning had been issued for what it described as an "extremely dangerous situation." A meteorologist said about 8 inches fell in Ellicott city in a six-hour period.
