They will come more frequently so you're experiencing these extreme events multiple times in one lifetime," Cohen said.Ī federal climate extremes index shows that extreme weather events-including flood-triggering downpours and punishing droughts-have indeed increased in the U.S. So what used to be a 100-year event becomes, say, a 10-year event. "Extreme heavy precipitation events are increasing in the Northeast U.S.," he said by phone.Ĭohen indicated that rainfall rates explained as a 1-in-100 year event or a 1-in-1000 year event using historical data can be quite misleading as the impacts of climate change skew the distribution. (AP Photo/David McFadden)īut Judah Cohen, a climatologist who is seasonal forecasting chief at Atmospheric Environmental Research in Lexington, Massachusetts, said what happened Sunday in Ellicott City appears consistent with climate change expectations. Sunday's destructive flooding left the former mill town heartbroken as it had bounded back from another destructive storm less than two years ago. Residents gather by a bridge to look at cars left crumpled in one of the tributaries of the Patapsco River that burst its banks as it channeled through historic Main Street in Ellicott City, Md., Monday, May 28, 2018. This week, officials told reporters that only 30 percent of a flood mitigation project started after the 2016 disaster had been finished. It seems like there's nowhere else for the water to go," said Guan Yang, an electrical engineer who moved to a relatively new townhouse development above Ellicott City's downtown two years ago.Īfter 2016's flash flood, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman had the county's planning department to draft a master plan to prevent future disasters. "These hills just feed the downtown with water. Even some people living in the townhouse complexes at the top of the hill know there's something wrong. It's another thing when a million gallons of runoff comes racing down the hill."ĭuring the most torrential rains, the Tiber and Hudson tributaries of the Patapsco River roar together, bursting over culverts twisting through the heart of downtown, fueled by stormwater runoff. "It's one thing when water gradually rises when it rains. "The unbridled development is a scandal," said Steve McKenna, who lives within walking distance of the freshly ravaged Main Street. Searchers scouring the Patapsco River near the historic town said Tuesday, May 29, that they have found Hermond's body. This undated photo provided by Howard County Police Department shows Eddison Alexander Hermond, who was reported missing Sunday, May 27, 2018, following torrential rains and flash flooding in Ellicott City, Md. They note that the old town's vulnerabilities have increased as housing developments were built in hills above, removing critical protections against flooding and increasing the amount of impervious surfaces. Locals who can remember still talk about the one that deluged the town in 1972.īut the recent destructive floods are different, many locals say. There was a devastating flood in 1868 that killed at least 43 people. And maybe we're never going to see Old Ellicott City again," said resident Sahil Saini, standing outside a community center doubling as a shelter.įlooding is hardly new for historic Ellicott City, a onetime home to mill workers that transformed into a tourist hub known for its restaurants, antique shops and nightlife. "Who would have thought this was going to happen in two years? But it happened again. Exasperated locals, just starting the strenuous task of picking up the pieces from Sunday's disaster, are calling for authorities to energetically focus on finding a permanent stormwater solution for Ellicott City's downtown district, situated in a ravine some 13 miles (20 kilometers) west of Baltimore.
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