New ‘chief resilience officer’ will set Maryland climate strategy

On July 30, 2016, Ellicott City experienced one of the worst natural disasters in its history when flash floods brought on by an intense rainstorm poured down Main Street. The floodwaters destroyed businesses, swept away vehicles and took the lives of two people. This tragedy was considered a “1,000-year flood,” meaning a flood event so severe it has only a 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year. Just two years later, another 1,000-year flood struck, taking one more life.