Politics & Government

County Releases Flood Plan: 'No Easy Answer' for Elkridge, Ellicott City

At-risk residents could receive flood warnings and county could see more rain gardens, according to plan.

Howard County officials want to do a better job of warning residents that a flood is coming, especially those living near the Thomas Viaduct in Elkridge.

That goal was part of a new report outlining how the county could protect residents and businesses from floods.

The plan was about a year in the making and comes coincidentally after recent  caused parts of Elkridge, like and , to close.

"Even though the county is largely flood-resistant, there are certain areas that remain very vulnerable, such as Ellicott City and Elkridge, for which there is no easy answer," stated the Flood Mitigation Plan.

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That was prefaced by the statement that only .2 percent of properties in Howard County are vulnerable to flooding.

According to the Flood Mitigation Plan, 41 roads in Howard County frequently flood and must be prioritized for federal funding to pay to increase their elevation. The roads were not listed.

Find out what's happening in Elkridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Historically, the report said that Elkridge experienced the following:

  • I-95 closed near Elkridge; July 23, 2008
  • Furnace Avenue under 2 feet of water; May 12, 2008
  • Furnace Avenue closed multiple times from flooding; June 2003
  • Race Road and Furnace Avenue closed from melting snow; Feb. 22, 2003
  • US 1 closed after flooding by Patapsco River; Aug. 30, 2001
  • Six Elkridge roads closed due to flooding; Aug. 11, 2001
  • Vehicles up to their hoods on US 1 in water; Sept. 9, 1999
  • Shoulder of US 1 washed away; July 30, 1996
  • Many Elkridge homes and businesses condemned, county declared disaster zone; Sept. 22–26, 1975 (Hurricane Eloise)
  • Residents evacuated from Elkridge by boat, businesses destroyed; June 21–23, 1972 (Tropical Storm Agnes)
  • Furnace Avenue and River Road closed or damaged; Aug. 1–4, 1971

Among the projects rated as "high priority" by the recent plan's steering committee was creating a database of properties that are at-risk.

"If we can get better at predicting who might be affected, then we can get the warning out to them sooner and they can prepare," said Howard Saltzman, of the county's storm water management division.

In particular, the plan mentioned properties near the Thomas Viaduct.

"Residents in the southeastern part of the county in the Elkridge and areas are outside the reach of the county's sirens," stated the report. It proposed a community notification system, using phone or email, to alert residents living near the viaduct and in other vulnerable locations that floods were coming.

Several of the 26 projects recommended in the official Flood Mitigation Plan are already in effect, said Saltzman, like inspecting dams and identifying flood-prone properties.

These are some other projects proposed:

  • Convene Howard, Baltimore and Carroll county agencies regularly to discuss flood mitigation issues
  • Establish incentives for stormwater retention through things like rain gardens and rain barrels
  • Identify "at-risk" properties that are flood-prone
  • Create a warning system to inform at-risk residents of flash flood threats
  • Consider an ordinance to reduce impervious surface installations, which contribute to puddling and flooding

Two of the 26 projects have a completion time line of five to 10 years, while roughly a dozen of the projects could be done in one or two years. The county will approach each project as time permits and funds become available, but the committee can also modify the plan as it sees fit, Saltzman said.


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