In Ellicott City, a mix of hope and ‘dilemma’
Shopowners on flooded Main Street await council vote on flood-control plan
The Baltimore Sun Sally Tennant recalls spending day after day salvaging what was left of her Ellicott City shop after the May flood.
Her process was tedious, sorting through mud and debris for pottery, jewelry and other merchandise. If an item appeared redeemable, she washed it, rinsed it, scrubbed it with a toothbrush.
“Sometimes you can’t even see what the hell it is until you wash it,” she said. Discoveries, her store on the lower half of Main Street that opened its doors 38 years ago, was one of many destroyed during the flood that left one person dead. More than seven inches of rain overflowed the Tiber and Hudson river tributaries, rushing down Main Street and leaving behind a thick layer of mud.
Months later, Tennant is one of many shop owners trying figuring out whether she will ever be able to reopen.
On Monday, the Howard County Council is scheduled to vote on a bill that would allocate nearly $17 million toward a five-year flood control plan. The bills represent part of a larger, $50 million package — advocated by County Executive Allan Kittleman and Ellicott City’s representative on the council, See ELLICOTT CITY, page 5
Her process was tedious, sorting through mud and debris for pottery, jewelry and other merchandise. If an item appeared redeemable, she washed it, rinsed it, scrubbed it with a toothbrush.
“Sometimes you can’t even see what the hell it is until you wash it,” she said. Discoveries, her store on the lower half of Main Street that opened its doors 38 years ago, was one of many destroyed during the flood that left one person dead. More than seven inches of rain overflowed the Tiber and Hudson river tributaries, rushing down Main Street and leaving behind a thick layer of mud.
Months later, Tennant is one of many shop owners trying figuring out whether she will ever be able to reopen.
On Monday, the Howard County Council is scheduled to vote on a bill that would allocate nearly $17 million toward a five-year flood control plan. The bills represent part of a larger, $50 million package — advocated by County Executive Allan Kittleman and Ellicott City’s representative on the council, See ELLICOTT CITY, page 5
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