Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) – Frederick County is bracing for more potential flooding Thursday and Friday as cleanup continues after Tuesday’s torrential rain and damage. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch that goes into effect Thursday afternoon and lasts until Friday night.
“One of the concerns has to be the fact that the ground is saturated at this point, so we may see some trees come down and that could affect power lines and as well as just being a danger to individuals and property,” said Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford who toured flood damage in Frederick County Wednesday.
Route 180 near Burkitsville is expected to be closed for a while after flooding partially washed it out according to Frederick County Spokesperson Vivian Laxton.
Rutherford said the bridge structure is sound, but the flood waters took the asphalt off the top of the bridge, and the roadway going to the bridge was undercut. He doesn’t know how long it will take to fix and re-open the bridge but said it will be a very expensive project.
The YMCA in downtown Frederick remains closed through at least Friday after extensive flood damage Tuesday according to Chief Development Officer for the YMCA of Frederick County Tom Klingman. He estimates that Tuesday’s flooding caused around $1 million in damage.
The YMCA has taken steps to protect itself against more damage Thursday and Friday according to Klingman. He said the pools have been drained, and people will be monitoring pumps and flood barriers.
“This was another tough event for us at the YMCA,” said Klingman. Flooding in 2015 caused $1.5 in damage at the Y.
Rutherford said he will talk to Gov. Larry Hogan to see if the National Guard should be put on standby. The Maryland Emergency Management Agency is now working with local emergency management agencies.
Following extensive flooding in 2015, Rutherford said the state plans to help the county figure out what can be done to possibly divert water away from Frederick in the future to prevent flooding.
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