Response center opened, state of emergency declared in wake of Western Maryland flooding

The Allegany County Department of Emergency Services announced that a multiagency resource center would open Saturday in Westernport to help residents of the flood-damaged area find the help they need to recover from the week’s storms.

The resource center will alternate daily between Westernport and Lonaconing for the next week, offering walk-in help with food stamps and other benefits, senior services, health care, disaster relief, community referrals and other services.

The center opening comes two days after Gov. Wes Moore (D) declared a state of emergency Thursday for Allegany and Garrett counties in the wake of the sudden heavy rains earlier this week that flooded roads, inundated homes and schools, and damaged utilities.

More than 5 inches of rain fell Tuesday, causing flooding in the state’s two westernmost counties and pushing Georges Creek to its second-highest levels on record. Georges Creek rose more than 6 feet in 5.5 hours Tuesday, to 12 feet, while the North Branch of the Potomac River near Cumberland surged almost 15 feet from Tuesday afternoon to early Wednesday, reaching flood stage of 23 feet around midnight, according to the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services.

Some roads were washed out or buried and water service the town of Lonaconing was briefly suspended after a roadway washout caused pipe damage.

More than 200 students and faculty were trapped by rising waters and had to be rescued from the Westernport and George’s Creek elementary schools by area swiftwater rescue teams Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Kati Kenney, communications director for Allegany County, told WTOP radio that the focus on Tuesday, after rescues, was on damage assessment and assuring the safety of residents in the community. She said the town of Westernport was hit hardest.

“The majority, if not all of those structures, have severe water damage and the crews there are now doing some structural assessments to figure out if they’re even safe to go back in,” Kenney said, referring to damage along the town’s Main Street.

Kenney said severe flooding is not frequent, but has happened in the past, with the most recent damaging floods occurring in 1996. “So this isn’t a first for them, but it’s been quite a few years since we’ve experienced anything quite like this,” she said.

Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-6th), who toured the region Thursday with Moore and other state and local officials, said that “seeing the aftermath of the flooding firsthand is overwhelming.”

“You don’t fully grasp the scale of it until you’re standing here, witnessing it for yourself,” Delaney said. “We’ve met families who had to evacuate their homes and small business owners now facing tough choices.”

Moore and Delaney were joined by Maryland secretaries of Emergency Management, Transportation and Environment, the deputy secretary of Natural Resources Police, Maryland State Police officials, Allegany County Commission President Dave Caporale and Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton.

After a briefing, the delegation toured the Westernport Main Street corridor and surveyed flood damage at Westernport fire hall, library, local businesses and Westernport Elementary School. Moore issued the emergency declaration during his tour.

“This was a serious test for public safety and health, and we responded with urgency,” Maryland Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said after the tour. “Drinking water systems were damaged, homes were flooded, and families were impacted. We acted quickly to confirm that our dams were operating correctly, offer emergency help for contaminated home heating oil tanks, and support safe debris removal.”

McIlwain said the focus now is on “long-term recovery, guiding infrastructure repairs, fast-tracking permits, and staying close to communities as they rebuild.”