Ellicott City Growing #ECSTRONG

For the last four days, hundreds of property owners, businesses and residents have taken advantage of the extended access to Ellicott City’s Main Street, for clean up, haul out and move out. They have been supported by large groups of family members, friends, and employees, traveling in convoys of trucks, vans and gators. Every day, we’ve seen steady progress and unwavering spirit. After Monday, we will be shutting down Main Street for about three weeks. We still have a mountain of public works projects that must be done, and we hope that with this uninterrupted repair window, we will accomplish enough work that we will be able to re-open Main Street to pedestrian traffic by September 16. We know that the interruption to business, commerce and daily life is weighing heavy on those impacted by the flooding. We are focused on a recovery plan that will provide predictability. We want to alleviate any anxiety, but still ensure public safety. We will be announcing more specifics during the next few days. We have received so much support from all levels of government. Thanks to Governor Hogan’s help, I’ve had direct contact in the last few days with the leadership of the Maryland Departments of Transportation, Commerce, Environment and Housing and Community Development. They have been prompt in their responses and very helpful. From the federal government, the Small Business Administration has been working on financial assistance for those who suffered losses. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers has been in town, clearing debris from river channels to minimize the chance that additional rainfall might cause flooding and pose an imminent threat. Finally, we have received many notes and messages of support from all across the state. Many of them hang on the walls of our emergency operations center, and throughout our offices, to remind us of the important work we are doing. While there is still an enormous task ahead, we are so inspired by this outpouring from our community, and we will overcome any challenge we face. Thank you, and remember, we are #ECSTRONG.