Flash Flooding and Coastal Flood in Maryland, February 4 to 5, 1998

A powerful nor'easter, carrying copious moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region, dumped between 2 and 4 inches of rain across much of Maryland between the foothills and the Chesapeake Bay. Highest totals, ranging from 3 to 5 inches, fell in lower southern Maryland, causing widespread flooding of low lying areas and small streams and creeks. The nor'easter, coming on the heels of one just a week earlier, caused tides of 3 to 4 feet above normal from the Calvert Co/Anne Arundel Co line south to Point Lookout in extreme southeastern St Mary's Co; and along the lower tidal Potomac River along the Charles and St Mary's shoreline, including Cobb Island and St George Island. A daily rainfall record was broken at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI); the 1.65 inches that fell on the 4th broke the 78 year-old Baltimore area mark of 1.48 inches.Flooding was most pronounced in St Mary's Co. During the peak of the storm, 26 roads were closed due the combination of wind and rain. Nine roads were closed due to flooding alone. State thoroughfares affected included routes 5, 237, 238, 243, and 271.Evacuations were initiated in Great Mills and on St George Island due to rapid increases in tide levels. At least 200 residents were evacuated, including one 3 year-old boy who required a water rescue. Four fire fighters were treated for hypothermia at St Mary's hospital. Some cars were nearly submerged in low-lying areas. In the Golden Beach neighborhood, Lake White overspilled its banks, and poor drainage contributed to the misery. The dam at St Mary's Lake held; overflow problems were minimal.The sewage system serving Lexington Park failed due to the abnormally heavy flow of water which caused manholes to flood. For example, the treatment plant, which normally has a flow of 3.5 million gallons in a two-day period, had a flow of nearly six times that much (18 million gallons) on the 4th and 5th. Schools closed at noon on the 4th and didn't reopen until the 6th.Other minor sewage backups were reported farther north in Frederick and Carroll Cos.Inland flooding was less extensive in Charles and Calvert Cos, but a problem nonetheless. In Charles Co, 25 roads were closed at the peak of the flooding; numerous vehicles were reportedly stranded throughout the county. Hydrologic observers recorded up to 4 1/2 inches of rain. Coastal flooding forced evacuations of Cobb Island; the island was cutoff from the mainland at around 0700EST on the 5th, with conditions returning to normal by 1600EST.Other coastal flooding affected Calvert Co, from Solomons Point to North Beach. The moderate flooding extended into extreme southern Anne Arundel Co just north of North Beach. Local officials in North Beach noted that up to one-half of the beach was pushed southward by the pounding waves; an outfall was trapped open by the action of the shifting sand, causing Bay water to inundate local roads and some establishments. The degree of erosion was greater than that associated with the remnants of hurricane Fran in 1996.Minor flooding affected the Annapolis City Dock (MDZ014), but sandbags protected most establishments. Around 1 foot of water covered the dock area.Other flooding across the state closed seven roads in Anne Arundel Co. Across Washington Co, especially in and near Hagerstown, early snow quickly changed to heavy rain. Minor flooding closed at least a dozen secondary and tertiary roads, and numerous basements were flooded. Only minor flooding was observed in the remaining counties east of the mountains.The heavy rains may have contributed to an automobile accident in Westminster (Carroll Co) where three persons were killed in the two vehicles involved.The storm was accompanied by gusty winds, especially over and east of the piedmont. In general, sustained winds averaged 25 to 35 mph, except 30 to 40 mph along the coastal plain. Wind gusts likely exceeded 50 mph along the coastal plain, especially on the immediate shoreline of the Bay and tidal Potomac River. Dozens of trees fell, many onto local roadways. In Charles Co alone, eighty trees and large limbs were reported down, thirty on Cobb Island. Other road closures in St Mary's, Calvert, Anne Arundel, and southeastern Prince George's Co were due to fallen trees or limbs. The combination of BG&E, PEPCO, and SMECO reported nearly 15,000 customers without power at the height of the storm. Four thousand customers were affected in St Mary's, 5000 in Anne Arundel, 1793 in Calvert, and 1550 in southeastern Prince George's and Charles Cos. Two homes in the Severna Park (MDZ014) area received minor structural damage from fallen trees. In Montgomery Co, a new football scoreboard was blown down at a Germantown high school. A tractor-trailer flipped over along interstate 70 in western Frederick Co (MDZ004) near the Myersville exit (S.R. 17).