The other victim was identified as Joseph Blevins, 38, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, police said. She was swept away and her body was later found about 200 yards from the Ilchester Bridge. Everyone in the vehicle managed to get out. They were inside the Watsula’s vehicle, when they were swept away by the flood. She and her family had been visiting Ellicott City when the flash flood occurred, her brother told police. One of the victims was Jessica Watsula, 35, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, according to Baltimore County Police. They had both been in cars when the flooding hit. We are going to become a stronger, better community, because that is who we are.”įlash flood carried off two people as it ravaged downtownĪt least two people died and their bodies were recovered on the Baltimore side of the river, said Howard County Police Chief Gary Gardner. “That tells me this is not going to defeat us. That tells me that’s what people in Howard County are like,” he said. “I will never forget that because that tells me what the people of Ellicott City are like. Kittleman said he would never forget the video of residents forming a human chain to rescue a person trapped in a car in the rising water. … All I can say is, I’m just happy to be alive.” Within five minutes, it was panic and my friend was pulling someone out of there, and I’ve never seen anything like it. And I literally came here, I thought we’re going to have dinner. “People formed human chains to help out others,” said Andy Barth, spokesman for the County Office of Emergency Management.Ĭourtney Weglein told CNN affiliate WJZ the water got so high so quickly on Saturday night that a man had to be carried to safety. Video from the scene shows cars being swept away in roads that look like rivers. We are not in control and we have to be ready.”Įllicott City, an affluent unincorporated community of 65,800 people and famous for its historic downtown, is about 12 miles west of Baltimore and in the valley of the Patapsco River, a major waterway flowing to Chesapeake Bay. “So that just goes to show you the strength of this, and it also goes to show you that nature is awfully powerful, folks. “We talked to a lot of people who said they had very little time to get ready – like ten minutes and all of the sudden it was there,” he added. It has never been close to being this bad … “We’ve never seen such devastation in Howard County for over 50 years,” he said. Workers gather on a street damaged by severe flooding in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Ellicott city flood