Ellicott City Marks 10 Years Since the Flood

Thursday morning: sunny, high near 85 degrees. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph.

Good morning, it's Thursday, July 30th. Big one today: Old Ellicott City just hit ten years since the flood that changed Main Street forever, and we're hearing from the people who stayed. Columbia is remembering Emily Rieger, a mom of three who poured herself into Swansfield Elementary and the Hickory Ridge community. Storms this week left trees down and power out from here to Anne Arundel County. And if you've ever tried to find a Denny's in Howard County, stick around, we need to talk about that. Let's get into it.

Ten years ago, a deadly flood tore through Old Ellicott City and forever changed Main Street. This week marks that anniversary, and CBS News is out with new interviews from residents who lived through it. One of them put it simply: 'I'm gonna fight to stay.' The Baltimore Sun calls Ellicott City's comeback from the flood the town's defining story a decade later, and this week talked to business owners about what the flood left behind, and what they've rebuilt since. Former county executive Allan Kittleman, who led Howard County's response to the flood, wrote in a guest column this week that the county's greatest strength during the crisis was its neighbors, not the government. The anniversary lands the same week storms brought confirmed tornadoes and lingering power outages from Howard County into Anne Arundel County, a fresh reminder of how much damage a single storm can do. Ten years later in Ellicott City, the story isn't the flood anymore. It's who stayed, who rebuilt, and who's still open on Main Street today.

Columbia is remembering Emily Rieger, a mother of three who died in June from a rare autoimmune disease. Rieger was active in Swansfield Elementary School's PTA and the Hickory Ridge Community Association. Friends and neighbors described her as 'sunshine in human form.' Her work in the Swansfield PTA and the Hickory Ridge community touched families across that part of Columbia, and neighbors are remembering her this week.

Someone posted on r/HowardCountyMD about pulling a late night at Howard Community College, which stays open with WiFi for studying. Buried in the thread: an observation that Howard County apparently does not have a single Denny's. No one in the comments could name one either. Small thing, but it's the kind of detail that gets repeated at the office the next morning.

Veterans can meet with a social worker from the Baltimore VA's Community Resource and Referral Center today at the Savage Branch library, 10:30 to 1. At Merriweather Post Pavilion, Kehlani brings her world tour to Columbia on Thursday, August 27th, with Durand Bernarr opening. Asake's 'In God We Trust' world tour stops at Merriweather the next night, Friday, August 28th, with Uncle Waffles. And the Rock Hill Turner Foundation is holding its second annual fundraiser in Columbia to benefit STEM education and grants.

Near the Howard County line in Montgomery County, a tree came down on a home during Tuesday's storms, cutting the house nearly in half. NWS confirmed tornadoes touched down in Anne Arundel County and on the Eastern Shore that same night. In Arnold's Shore Acres community, residents are cleaning up extensive storm damage. A tree crashed onto a Shore Acres garage, trapping a wheelchair-accessible van inside. In Baltimore's Fells Point, flash flooding on South Caroline Street has residents pushing for drainage fixes. At the library: Pajama Time is tonight at the Elkridge Branch, 6:30 to 7. Just for Me for ages 3 to 6 runs at the Savage Branch, 9:30 to 10. Baby's Play Date follows at Savage, 9:30 to 10:30. And All Together Now hits the Glenwood Branch, 10 to 10:30. Merriweather's also got Muse booked for a Columbia show, per the Goshen News.

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That's the brief for Thursday, July 30th. Full stories and links are at hocobrief.com. Sign up for the newsletter, check the archive, or send me a tip. See you tomorrow morning.