Ellicott City Flood: Howard County Council Extends State of Emergency

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — The Howard County Council has extended the state of emergency that County Executive Allan Kittleman declared in the aftermath of Saturday's flooding in Ellicott city.

The council reportedly voted unanimously Friday to extend the measure, 5-0, which keeps the state of emergency in effect until Sept. 7.

The state of emergency by charter can only stay in effect for seven days, meaning it would have expired at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 6. Earlier in the week, Kittleman told residents at a storm recovery workshop that he would be asking for an extension, which would require council approval.

The state of emergency allows the county to close roads such as Main Street, where surveyors are assessing buildings for safety after more than 6 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours, killing two and requiring more than 150 rescues.

During a state of emergency, the county executive can issue orders to protect the health, safety and welfare of people in Howard County, from controlling traffic to establishing a designated emergency zone and then limiting individual and vehicular access into and out of that area.

The council mandated that by Aug. 27, Kittleman must submit a report on the progress of the recovery efforts, according to The Baltimore Sun, which said that 90 businesses and 190 residents were displaced by the flood, which as of Friday had left more than 30 vehicles sunken in the Patapsco River, some under piles of debris.

Downtown Ellicott City on Aug. 3. Photo Credit: Elizabeth Janney.