11 TV Hill: How Ellicott City is mitigating climate change's impact on flooding
Two life-altering storms just two years apart: Ellicott City is one of many areas in Maryland experiencing firsthand the impact of climate change.
11 TV Hill takes a look at the resiliency of those who have weathered the storms and the projects underway to protect the community for another 250 years.
Whether it's rising sea levels or severe storms, we're now rethinking our relationship to the environment.
After years of catastrophic floods, preventative action is taking shape in Ellicott City.
| MORE: Forecasting Our Future
Progress can be seen across Ellicott City as efforts to prevent the devastating floods along Main Street time and time again.
Turbulent waters ravaged the historic district in 2011, 2016 and 2018. The deadly storms made Main Street a raging river, leaving cars crushed and laying waste to livelihoods.
"They were devastating. We lost everything. We lost all our equipment, all our product, electric. We had to rebuild from the ground up, after getting rid of a feet or two of mud in most places," said Mark Hemmis, owner of Phoenix Upper Main.
After the 2018 flood, Hemmis couldn't take another downfall. He kept the lights on by making the move up from the bottom of the hill when Howard County purchased his building and several others along lower Main Street.
Soon, his old place, along with three others, will be torn down to make way for a culvert. The backs of some buildings built right above the stream will go, too.
"I knew that our town needed a real plan that was going to preserve Ellicott City Main Street into the future," Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said.
It's all part of the county executive's multifaceted "Safe and Sound" plan, starting with the installation of an emergency alert system, the designation of high-ground access points and the cleaning out of more than 30 tons of debris from streams. The plan will then progress to extensive construction projects.
"Now, we have seven major projects. Some of them are conveyance projects, which actually help the water move to the Patapsco River more safely, and some are retention projects, which make it so the water is retained in a safe way," Ball said.
Five retention ponds will be constructed -- two are underway, including the 10-acre Quaker Mill Pond at Rogers Avenue and Patapsco River Road.
A 5,000-foot underground tunnel is also in the works that will pick up water in three spots and push it out to the river.
Jeni Porter's Little Market Café is right on the stream.
"I'm glad to see some progress happening. It has been a long time. So, for us, it's very, I guess, frustrating because things take a lot longer than you expect them to, and you want them to be done immediately," Porter said.
She has also seen the brunt of the water's brutality.
"Every time it rains, you have an initial feeling like, 'Oh no. Is this the day? Is this going to be the day it happens again?' And, that's hard to live with sometimes," Porter said.
Porter said she doesn't want to see her community gathering place go away, saying the people are what give the 250-year-old city its charm.
"My heart says no matter what happens, I'm here. This is my space. This is what I love. This town is what I love. My biggest concern is the safety of people," Porter said.
"Horrific things happen, and I hope those floods were part of our past," Hemmis said. "I hope, as we move toward our future, we can see the growth and reemergence of Ellicott City."
Four years out from the last flood, both business owners and county leaders said they're seeing a rebirth with more than a dozen new shops that have come to town and businesses that once struggled are back in full swing.
"This restaurant exists because of our community. I can't imagine it anywhere else," Hemmis said.
The ultimate goal is to get to a point where people can adequately floodproof.
"We see the increasing frequency and intensity of storms throughout the entire nation. Right now, we are going to be that model of resilience, of preparing for the future, of making it so our town will be safe and sound for the next 250 years," Ball said.
No one plans on giving up any time soon.
"(We're) being resilient and staying here and proving our businesses every day, making it just a little better every day," Porter said. "It can only become something better than it is, you know? You just got to keep fighting."
There is currently no specific end date for the projects because of all the moving parts, but it will continue for years to come.
