ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) - A few months after floodwaters devastated a Maryland town's main street for the second time in two years, authorities are moving to demolish roughly 5 percent of Ellicott City's historic district.
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman says 10 ravaged structures on the lower half of the former mill town's main street must be demolished in the coming months. The idea is to expand the flood plain for the next time waterways burst their banks.
He said Wednesday that some residential properties further up the hill will also need to be bulldozed to increase the size of culverts. Negotiations are underway.
Old Ellicott City became a soggy ghost town in May after floodwaters gutted shops and killed a visitor. The main street had just been revitalized after devastating flooding in 2016.
