FLOOD
“We still have an aggressive plan for trying to implement, but again that depends upon everything falling into place,” Ball said.
Ball said there were funding concerns, particularly with the current unpredictable financial state of the country, citing the 2,000-point drop of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index Monday largely reaction to fears of the spreading coronavirus.
The mitigation plan was developed in response to historic floods that ripped through downtown Ellicott City in 2016 and 2018, killing three people and causing severe damage.
In November, the county began purchasing 10 properties on lower Main Street to make room for widened stream beds to accommodate floodwaters. According to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, the sale of the 10th property, the Phoenix Emporium, has not yet been completed.
“We are finalizing the process, but we have made the acquisition,” Ball said.
As part of the county’s plan, Ball has selected eight projects for implementation including the North Tunnel, Terraced Floodplain, and West End Floodplain and Conveyance as part of the Safe and Sound plan.
All eight measures, as well as six others, were evaluated by the Army Corps of Engineers. Among the eight measures the county has selected to implement, four were in the top tier of recommendations by the Corps.
“There is still flood risk for Ellicott City, so part of this study included identifying additional considerations, measures for the county to potentially further reduce that flood risk to Ellicott City,” Layman said.
County Councilwoman Liz Walsh was among the 30 residents in attendance and said she was happy with the Army Corps of Engineers presentation; she cautioned that many of the solutions presented have been suggested since the 2016 with no implementation.
“We need to do something to protect that town, and we still haven’t, to a large extent, undertaken a plan to do that,” Walsh said.
Ball said there were funding concerns, particularly with the current unpredictable financial state of the country, citing the 2,000-point drop of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index Monday largely reaction to fears of the spreading coronavirus.
The mitigation plan was developed in response to historic floods that ripped through downtown Ellicott City in 2016 and 2018, killing three people and causing severe damage.
In November, the county began purchasing 10 properties on lower Main Street to make room for widened stream beds to accommodate floodwaters. According to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, the sale of the 10th property, the Phoenix Emporium, has not yet been completed.
“We are finalizing the process, but we have made the acquisition,” Ball said.
As part of the county’s plan, Ball has selected eight projects for implementation including the North Tunnel, Terraced Floodplain, and West End Floodplain and Conveyance as part of the Safe and Sound plan.
All eight measures, as well as six others, were evaluated by the Army Corps of Engineers. Among the eight measures the county has selected to implement, four were in the top tier of recommendations by the Corps.
“There is still flood risk for Ellicott City, so part of this study included identifying additional considerations, measures for the county to potentially further reduce that flood risk to Ellicott City,” Layman said.
County Councilwoman Liz Walsh was among the 30 residents in attendance and said she was happy with the Army Corps of Engineers presentation; she cautioned that many of the solutions presented have been suggested since the 2016 with no implementation.
“We need to do something to protect that town, and we still haven’t, to a large extent, undertaken a plan to do that,” Walsh said.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
