PHOTOS: Heavy storms cause major, deadly flooding in parts of mid-Atlantic Saturday evening

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist

July 31,2016; 8:31PM,EDT

 

Rain and thunderstorms moved through the mid-Atlantic on Saturday with downpours leading to major flooding in some communities. The flooding turned deadly near Baltimore.
Baltimore was one of the hardest hit areas with radar-estimated rainfall of 4 inches just west of the city.
This led to numerous water rescues which prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood emergency.
At least two people been found dead in the aftermath of the flooding, according to WJZ-TV.
Rain was so heavy in Ellicott City, Maryland, that some roads turned to rivers. A trained spotter reported a rainfall total of 6.50 inches.
A report from the National Weather Service indicates that nearly 6 inches of that rain fell in just two hours. Statistically, there is a less than 0.1 percent chance of that occurring in any given year in this area.
Governor Larry Hogan signed an Executive Order declaring a state of emergency in Howard County on Sunday. Howard County is home to Ellicott City.
"The thunderstorms caused extensive damage to property and infrastructure in the central part of [Maryland], including intense flooding in the historic town of Ellicott City," a press release from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency stated.
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Saturday's thunderstorms also led to power outages across Maryland with Maryland.gov reporting over 13,000 customer outages across the state, many of which being in or just west of Baltimore.
The deluge was not limited to the Baltimore area as flooding also occurred in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
(Twitter photo/@djcrome)
(Twitter photo/@djcrome)
The receding floodwaters revealed massive sink holes in Ellicott City, Maryland. (Photo/Zachary Landow)
Local businesses suffered severe damage from the flooding in Ellicott City, Maryland. (Twitter photo/@Ian_Jett)
Cars were tossed around like toys in Ellicott City, Maryland. (Twitter photo/@Ian_Jett)