A National Guardsman was swept away while attempting to help residents of Ellicott City, Maryland, during the town’s second freak flash flood in three years.
The city was pounded with eight inches of rain on Sunday - an inch and a half more than the rainfall that triggered a similar disaster in 2016, when two people were killed.
The 2016 deluge was dubbed a “once in 1,000 years” weather event, but this weekend’s torrential flood is believed to have been even more powerful.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“The best estimates that we have in real time are saying that this is a worse flood,” National Weather Service meteorologist Kyle Pallozzi told the Baltimore Sun.
At least two separate flash floods struck the town on Sunday, NPR reports, “shoving cars down the street and bursting through storefronts” in the town’s colonial-era historic centre. State governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency, urging locals to seek higher ground.
Video footage taken by witnesses shows fast-moving torrents of water several feet high sweeping down Main Street:
National Guardsman Eddison Hermond, a 39-year-old air force veteran, was eating in a restaurant when the floods hit and “went out to help a woman find her cat”, according to County Police Chief Gary Gardner. Witnesses said he was carried awaty by the raging waters.
Despite extensive searches by emergency services, Hermond remains missing.
Main Street was cordoned off today as authorities assessed the damage to homes and businesses and began to clear the debris.
Allan Kittleman, executive of Howard County, told USA Today: “There are no words to describe the devastation.”
He added that business owners who painstakingly rebuilt after the 2016 flash floods now faced a “tough decision” as to whether to go through the process again.
“My heart breaks for them,” he said, adding: “When you have eight inches coming down, terrible things can happen.”
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Ukraine blames Russia for destroying major hydroelectric dam 'in panic' as counteroffensive startsSpeed Read
-
How bad are this year's Mississippi River floods?Speed Read "Everybody's plan along the river has been put to the test"
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drugSpeed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policySpeed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UKSpeed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakersSpeed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
