A Hard Rain

Back in June of 1972, the summer before my senior year of high school, Hurricane Agnes ripped through Central Maryland and caused severe flooding in Ellicott City. The bridge crossing the Patapsco River was washed out and the water level rose up to the second floor of some of the buildings on lower Main Street. The storm caused nineteen deaths in the State of Maryland. You can see some old newspaper clippings and photos of the Ellicott City flood here.

With the record setting rains we’ve been experiencing this spring and with more rain in the forecast for next week, I wondered if the conditions might be ripe for another major water event in the old town.

I took this video of the river yesterday afternoon.

The water level did not appear to be dangerously high yet, but as this sign indicates, the potential for another flood is still very much on the radar of local officials.