Flash Flood in Maryland, March 21 to 22, 2000

A rather innocuous looking low pressure system brought heavy rain and flooding in Cecil County. Rain began falling just after midnight on the 21st and was on the light side until around noon EST. The rain was heavy at times from the afternoon of the 21st into the early morning of the 22nd. Rain lingered at a lighter intensity throughout the rest of the morning on the 22nd. By 6 p.m. EST on the 21st, the heavy rain started small stream flooding. Conditions worsened overnight. The Big Elk Creek flooded in Elkton. Stores along West Main Street were flooded. Up to two feet of water accumulated in basements. Delaware Avenue was closed into Wednesday night the 22nd because of mud on the road. Howard Street was also closed because of flooding. Many roads throughout the county were closed because of either stream or poor drainage flooding. Flooding was reported in Conowingo, Port Deposit and North East. In Conowingo, 3.95 inches of rain fell between 7 a.m. EST on the 21st and 7 a.m. EST on the 22nd. The low pressure system responsible for the heavy rain was located near Savannah, Georgia the morning of the 20th. It moved very slowly northeast and at 7 a.m. EST on the 21st it was located near New Bern, North Carolina. The central pressure of this low was about 1017 millibars, higher than normal sea level pressure. The low slowed even further and was located just off of Parramore Island, Virginia at 7 a.m. EST on the 22nd. Its central pressure remained quite weak, only about 1018 millibars. The low then moved quickly out to sea during the day on the 22nd. Just as, if not more, important was a strong blocking high pressure system that remained over the Canadian Maritimes throguhout this event. It slowed the low pressure system's progress and helped establish a prolong and moist southeast fetch from the Atlantic Ocean throughout this event.