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Severe weather sparks State of Emergency for Frederick County

Posted at 8:04 AM, May 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-18 07:43:26-04

Following severe storms in the Frederick County area, both the county and the city have declared a State of Emergency. 

The Mayor of Frederick declared a State of Emergency on Tuesday in an executive order after severe weather caused flash flooding and damage throughout the area. 

During a conference Thursday afternoon, O'Connor said the city and the county have joined together with their State of Emergencies so they can help the most people. He continued to say that he wants residents to understand this is a serious issue, and this storm may not look as dramatic as snow, but much more time and energy goes into relief.

Thursday afternoon, Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner also held a press conference where she made her own State of Emergency announcement. She said that this State of Emergency will be different because they are not restricting travel. The main reason for the declaration is so that emergency operations are in effect and state and federal programs can help with the cost of repairs. 

Also during the conference, she talked about what the county has already faced and what they are planning to do over the coming days. Gardner said the county has had 9 to 10 inches of rain, and some areas even had seven inches in less than three hours. 

 

This rain has caused 462 fire rescues, 110 of them being flooding responses, and 75 rescues of people who are stranded in their cars while trying to cross a flooded road, according to Fire and Rescue Chief Tom Owens. 

"Never drive through water levels, particularly if you cannot see the road surface,” Owens said during the conference. He also said that fire crews are not pumping water out of basements at this time, but they will come to your house to see if there are any hazards that come with the flooding. 

RELATED: Thunderstorms cause flash flooding in Maryland

Chuck Nipe, the Director of the Public Works Division added that they are hoping to open roadways for emergency cares on Thursday, but they are expecting it to take around a month to repair all of the damage the rain has caused.  

Also because of the flooding, multiple restrictions have been requested for residents in affected areas. 

The City of Frederick is asking people to refrain from water use. According to their website, the City's wastewater treatment plant is inundated and at a risk of additional overflow. Officials are asking for people to refrain from non-essential water use like washing clothes, washing dishes, and user water in any capacity that adds to the already overburdened plant. 

If you experience a backup, call the DPW switchboard at 301-600-1440.

Officials also asked residents to avoid parts of Carroll Creek until further notice due to potential sewer overflows. 

Frederick Mayor O'Connor also said that many people have been concerned about the fish they are seeing in the flooded waters. If it is a bluegill or sun fish you can throw them back into the creek. If you find a goldfish, he asks that you take it home and adopt it. He even said that his office might even adopt their own!