The Howard County Council extended a state of emergency Friday to Sept. 7 after Saturday’s deadly flood swept through old Ellicott City last weekend, leaving two dead and displacing dozens of residents and gutting businesses.
The move extends a state of emergency Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman instituted late Saturday. By law, the state of emergency allows the Kittleman administration to control traffic, vehicles and public transportation, as well as limited access to public roads and the occupancy of buildings and can include imposing a curfew.
The county voted this morning to extend the state of emergency until Sept. 7, although the county executive can lift it earlier if he chooses to.
On Saturday, nearly two months worth of rainfall fell within two hours, causing the Patapsco River to rise and overwhelm the Tiber and Hudson rivers, said Ryan Miller, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management.
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