Multiple roads closed as rain pummels Carroll County during flood warning

Carroll County Times (Westminster, MD)

July 26--Westminster residents Austin Johnson and Dan Jewell got stuck on Md. 27 Wednesday evening when their car stalled shortly after passing Nicodemus Road, driving southbound through floodwaters.

Heavy rain closed multiple roads in Carroll, including the portion of Md. 27 at Nicodemus Road near Westminster, following a flash flood warning from the National Weather Service.

Cpl. Matt Wilson, with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, said as of about 7:25 p.m, closed roads included Lemmon Road at Sullivan Road, Bachman Valley Road, Trump Road, Ebbvale Road in the 2200 block, Wine Road, Sams Creek Road in the 2900 block and Avondale Road at Stone Chapel Road. Snydersburg Road at Cascade Lake, Garrett Road at the 2100 block, 148 Bond Street, Geeting Road

As of 9 p.m, Md. 27 was still closed at Nicodemus, and traffic was being diverted at Old Westminster Road. Additional blocked roads were reported with a fallen tree at Arnold Road and Hook Road; and cars backed up due to flooding at Dutch Road and Carrollton Road, Water Tank Road and Lineboro Road, and Shady Brook Drive at Lucabaugh Mill Road. Other closed roads include: Hoffman Mill Road, North Cranberry Road at Old Manchester Road, John Hyde Road, New Windsor Road at Coe Drive, East Deep Run Road, Stoney Lane at Traceys Mill Road, and 114 Tannery Road.

While the two men on Md. 27 waited for someone to come jump-start the vehicle, they got out of the car to help traffic pass.

"My car is too low to go through all this," said Johnson while waving cars through the rain. "We were just cruising around seeing how bad the roads are."

Johnson works as a landscaper and said although he's lived in Westminster for 10 years he's never seen conditions like this.

"I really needed the water for the grass to grow and everything," said Johnson," but now it's getting ridiculous."

"I've never seen this road like this before," he said.

Shortly after the two men began directing traffic, a state trooper put out flares and officially closed Md. 27 farther southbound headed toward Mount Airy where the roads were flooded over a bridge. He was unable to give anymore information about other road conditions or detours.

Maryland State Police Cpl. Michael Karas said the Md. 27 flooding was the worst they'd heard of so far, and as of about 7 p.m., no other state roads had been closed in Carroll.

Karas said there were many calls regarding the weather.

"We've had numerous, numerous calls of water goring over the roadway and mudslides throughout the area," he said, and urged people to be careful, especially when driving.

The flood warning went into effect for Carroll County at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as rain continues to pelt the region, sometimes hitting a high of 3 to 4 inches an hour, Cody Ledbetter, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said.

The warning was posted to last until 11:30 p.m.

Jennifer Turiano/STAFF PHOTO

Water cascades over Md. 27 Wednesday after heavy rains pummeled the county.

Water cascades over Md. 27 Wednesday after heavy rains pummeled the county. (Jennifer Turiano/STAFF PHOTO)

The warning is for Carroll, Howard, northern Montgomery, southeastern Frederick and western Baltimore counties, according to the NWS.

"At 5:28 p.m. EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain, which will cause flooding. One half to one inch of rain has fallen in portions of the warned area. Additional rainfall amounts of one to two inches are possible," according to the flood warning.

The NWS warns people to not drive on flooded roads because more flood deaths occur in vehicles. The Sheriff's Office also warned against driving in water on the roads in a tweet, and said there were numerous water rescues.

"The key with such heavy rain moving through the area [is to] make sure to watch out if you're out driving, and don't drive through roadways that have any water flowing over them," Ledbetter said, adding, "turn around, don't drown."

While the flood warning ends at 11:30 p.m., a flood watch continues until 2 a.m. Thursday.

Wednesday's heavy storms came after Carroll and many other areas in the state had endured nearly constant rain.

This weekend saw 3 to 6 inches of rain. Monday, Ledbetter said, Carroll saw anywhere from 1 to 3 inches, with the highest amounts in the Reese and Gamber area.

Ledbetter did not have rain totals for Carroll for Tuesday, but said Baltimore County saw 1 to 3 inches, and Frederick County saw 1 to 2 inches.

"[The total is] somewhere between there for Carroll County," he added.

Tuesday's rains brought a number of road closures in the northern end of the county, with high waters, washed out roads and downed trees.

CAPTION

Volunteer firefighter Matt Knight and his family have been making French fries at the Reese Fire Company Carnival for generations. Here's how it's done.

(Jennifer Turiano -- Carroll County Times)

Volunteer firefighter Matt Knight and his family have been making French fries at the Reese Fire Company Carnival for generations. Here's how it's done.

(Jennifer Turiano -- Carroll County Times)

CAPTION

Volunteer firefighter Matt Knight and his family have been making French fries at the Reese Fire Company Carnival for generations. Here's how it's done.

(Jennifer Turiano -- Carroll County Times)

Volunteer firefighter Matt Knight and his family have been making French fries at the Reese Fire Company Carnival for generations. Here's how it's done.

(Jennifer Turiano -- Carroll County Times)

CAPTION

Flooding can be seen at Md. 27, where two men got stuck heading southbound past Nicodemus Road on Wednesday evening, July 25.

CAPTION

Linda Kirkpatrick, talks about the the week-long camp which is in its 33rd year this summer, and culminates in a final concert on Friday, July 20.

CAPTION

A Civil War-era ash tree was cut down July 17, 2018 on Md. 97 after the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest and State Highway Administration for it was dead and a hard to keep memorials and roads. (Jennifer Turiano -- Carroll County Times)