Flood Risk Subsides In Ellicott City; Fatal Flood Marked 6 Years Ago

Updated at 9:40 p.m. Monday

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Emergency officials closed Historic Ellicott City’s Main Street for a time Monday night while the area was under a flash flood warning. About 9:30 p.m., Howard County authorities said the district was reopening as rain ended.

"Howard County Police Department are in the process of reopening Historic Ellicott City’s Main Street, and we’re beginning to see water levels in our stream channels recede," the county said on Facebook.

May 27 marked the sixth anniversary of the 2018 Ellicott City flood, which killed one person after nearly 8 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours. Eddison Alexander Hermond, 39, of Severn, an active member of the Army National Guard, tried to help a woman and her cat when witnesses saw him get swept in the floodwaters. His body was found days later on the Baltimore County side of the Patapsco River.

Related: Photos Of Ellicott City Flash Flood 2018 Damage

"Over the last six years, we have worked diligently to establish key flood safety measures in Historic Ellicott City, as well as implement our transformational Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan. To date, we have completed two major flood mitigation projects under the Plan, and two more will be breaking ground this summer," said the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Facebook page. "Together, we will continue our work to ensure that Ellicott City’s best days are ahead."

The National Weather Service anticipated an additional one-tenth of an inch of rain throughout our region as of 9:35 p.m. Monday.

The flash flood warning for Historic Ellicott City was cancelled; it had been in effect until 1:15 a.m. A tornado watch for Howard County has expired.

The Office of Emergency Management continues to monitor the weather closely. The Tone Alert System was activated.

The Howard County Police Department shut down Main Street out of caution, according to an earlier Facebook post from the Howard County Government.