Two Dead, 100 Rescued in 'Tremendous Devastation' of Maryland Floods

Almost 6 inches of rain fell in Ellicott City from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the equivalent of a full month's normal rainfall, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said Sunday afternoon.

The Patapsco River, which runs through the area, rose more than 13 feet Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.

Kittleman called it "a terrible, terrible, horrific incident," adding: "It looks like a war zone."

The bodies of Joseph Anthony Blevins, 38, and Jessica Watsula, 35, were recovered after they were killed in separate incidents when they were carried off by the rushing water, Kittleman said later.

Photos showed damaged buildings — some stripped of windows and doors — and collapsed roadways in Ellicott City, a community of 65,000 in Howard County about 12 miles west of Baltimore. At least four homes were destroyed, and 20 to 30 others sustained substantial damage, the county said