Preventing Flooding in Ellicott City

“As one of the most climate-vulnerable states in the nation, extreme weather has already impacted communities like Ellicott City. Preventing additional floods will require true partnership at all levels of government, but we know that each dollar invested in prevention saves six dollars in emergency response. With this mindset I have secured over $40M of state funding to rebuild Old Ellicott City, and will continue to fight for resources for the rest of District 9”

I will never forget working for weeks with residents, business owners, St. Peter’s Church, and the County to clean up Ellicott City’s Main Street after the 2018 flood. We know storms will continue to threaten Ellicott City, and we must continue investing in life-saving mitigation measures and infrastructure to protect our community.

I have worked proactively with local, state, and federal partners to bring home over $40M of state funds for the Historic Ellicott City Safe & Sound Plan over the past four years. These funds will go towards the completion of stormwater retention ponds (including the H7 and Quaker Mill Mitigation Ponds), the Maryland Avenue culverts, warning systems, and the Extended North Tunnel. Due to this state investment in Ellicott City, Howard County was also able to qualify for a $75M federal program to support the Safe & Sound Plan.

Additionally, our Department of Emergency Management is currently implementing legislation that I passed and introduced to establish the Maryland Office of Resilience & the Resilient Maryland Revolving Loan Fund. Once these structures are fully organized, Howard County will be able to access a pool of nearly $1B of state and federal funding to complete flood mitigation projects. Our Office of Resilience will also coordinate across local, state, and federal agencies to centralize long-term, strategic planning to mitigate the impacts of environmental hazards.

Creating and executing a comprehensive flood mitigation plan requires collaboration and creative thinking, and flooding isn’t confined to Ellicott City. Over the next four years, I look forward to fighting for even more resources in Ellicott City, western Howard County, and Damascus; and to continue working toward a more resilient Maryland.