Surreal scenes as torrential flooding sends rapids roaring through historic Ellicott City, Maryland

A flash flood raged through the heart of historic Ellicott City, Maryland, on Sunday evening, sending residents and tourists fleeing from the surreal scenes and sparking a massive response by rescuers.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced he had declared a state of emergency in Howard County and huddled with emergency officials to assess the extent of the damage, which was not fully known. No injuries were immediately reported.

The National Weather Service called the flooding an “extremely dangerous and potentially catastrophic situation” as the rains pounded the city Sunday evening. Amid the flooding, the Howard fire department warned people trapped on the city’s Main Street to climb to the second floors of buildings as they awaited rescue and said the damage could rival devastating flood that occurred there in 2016.

Officials said there were reports of collapsed buildings. Hundreds of rescuers had converged from as far away as Northern Virginia, officials said, and Howard opened an emergency operations centre to manage its response.

Videos taken on Ellicott City’s Main Street show roiling brown rapids, carrying cars and debris before them. The water spilled into doors and windows and twisted traffic lights.

Loretta Moran was returning with her husband to their house on Main Street from their son’s wedding the night before when they noticed the Tiber River was running extremely high. They parked their car in front of their house and soon noticed some of their tenants trapped on their house’s upper floors.

As they rushed across Main Street, the water went from a trickle at their feet to their knees.

Loretta, 64, and her husband, Tim, 66, led the eight stranded tenants – including a two-year-old child – and a dog out through their back exit.