911 Calls from Ellicott City Flood: 'The Floor's Buckling'

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — The Howard County Police Department released calls from the 911 center received on July 30, when downtown Ellicott City was swept up in a deadly flash flood.

"Flooding is an understatement," said one of the callers in the 10-plus minutes of calls released Wednesday. She was inside Ellicott Mills Brewing Company.

The recordings included calls from Main Street residents and businesses, including Bean Hollow, Portalli's, The Phoenix Emporium and Ellicott Mills Brewing Company.

"The floor's buckling...[and] we can feel the ceiling crumbling," said the caller from Bean Hollow, who was heard screaming as the floor broke underfoot. There was no place for the eight people inside the building to go, she said, but after nearly four minutes on the line with the dispatcher, they found steps to get out.

"We are currently underwater," said the caller at The Phoenix, where county officials later said more than 40 people had to be rescued.

In Portalli's, the caller said that at least 100 people had moved to the second floor after water flooded into the first level.

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One caller asked first responders to help others because she said they were OK.

Although the power had gone out and 50 people were trapped: "We're trapped but we're safe here," said the caller from Ellicott Mills Brewing Company. "Go help other people first."

The dispatcher said the fire department would respond because there were people trapped in the building.

Altogether, county officials said that 150 people were rescued downtown. Two people swept up in vehicles died in the flood, and authorities have closed Main Street indefinitely as surveyors assess the damage.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Janney.