Season 1, Episode 10: Not Again!

[00:00:03]today on hearts of Heroes a Maryland town relives its worst nightmare suffering its second major flood in less than two years which was just like the worst deja vu ever but the people of this community are standing tall rebuilding and literally saving themselves a big metal that you should wear around the neck the hero perils are the best of humanity in the worst of times if you've had the misfortune of living through something as horrible as a flood you might be inclined to think that that was a once-in-a-lifetime event unfortunately that's not always the case you're about to hear a story about one Baltimore suburb that was hit with flooding twice within two years what makes this even more extraordinary is how much the people there had each other's backs Ellicott City Maryland is a quaint historic town of just over 65,000 people nestled in a valley between two rivers the Tiber and the Patapsco it also houses the oldest surviving train station in the United States but perhaps most importantly Ellicott City is as close-knit a community as they come I've been in Ellicott City for 22 years in business I love this town this town is like my family away from my family we've had husbands and wives we've met here the birthdays celebrated and graduations and engagements and you just become a part of the community in July of 2016 another major life event hit this charming town a devastating flood that wiped out many businesses right along Main Street terrified terrible we lost everything I lost everything I mean and I don't know it was just supposedly a thousand-year flood we're still a little on edge up to the flood in 2016 yeah we don't like rain down here I mean 2016 we were out of work for six months but incredibly the selfless spirit of teamwork helped the town and the Phoenix rise to glory once again my employees were without jobs yeah and should have been out looking for other employment yeah instead they came here and grab shovels and suits and masks dug us out and help us rebuild and helped us get reopen and just as Mark had done a couple doors away Joan Eve decided to rebuild her business at that time I was 73 years old and I felt like I still had the energy and the go get it to do it again and Gary was right by my side and helped me get started again with getting the inventory placed and all that fast forward to less than two years later Memorial Day weekend 2018 when the unthinkable happened party terrain around four o'clock we had customers in the store we've cut them little plastic bags and put them over and so they wouldn't get also hoping afterwards that they made it okay we were here it was raining there was a lot of water coming down the street rushing down next to the curbs down the sidewalk which is normal when you're in a valley and then it just kind of it just didn't stop and it didn't let up at all I've never seen it before so hard he was crazy and it went from filling up the gutters to suddenly it was at the curb and then it was over the sidewalk and it was just 2016 all over and wasn't very long after that the barrage of 9-1-1 calls requesting assistance came in the water was moving much quicker than what any of us had ever seen before we were dealing with five feet of fast-moving water that was swallowing up cars and and pushing cars down the street and then looked and there was just a wall of water coming down the road like five or six feet high first responders arrived on scene almost instantly but because of the river of water coming down the street they had almost no access to the Phoenix and other businesses that's when everyday people had to step up and help each other the best they could all of a sudden it wasn't just coming in like a little puddle into the front it was coming in fast and furious I remember saying to June Eve we have to get out of here it is getting out of control and we need to get to higher ground at that point we are kind of like all right like we're not doing this get customers through the kitchen and upstairs we got everybody upstairs and then the carnage kind of started coming up as the floodwaters rise gary helps Joan Eve make a run for it it was so horrifying was the closest thing I've ever felt like I was gonna die and later first responders help a woman trapped in her apartment I don't even know how the firefighters came in to find me but I'm so glad they did but first this important safety tip in terms of safety did you know there's a very important difference between the words watch and warning a flood or flash flood watch means flooding is possible in your area whereas a flood or flash flood warning means flooding is already occurring or will occur soon in your immediate vicinity if you're under a warning please follow the advice and potential evacuation orders put forth by local officials it could be the most important choice you ever make to keep you and your loved ones out of harm's way on Memorial Day weekend in 2018 Ellicott City Maryland was blindsided by its second flash flood in two years the flash flooding continued to rise to life-threatening levels trapping shop owners and others without an escape route are we up high enough at the Phoenix remembering lessons learned from that fateful flood in 2016 the step immediately snapped into action so this time we certainly weren't prepared for it but a reaction to it was better we've done it before we knew we lost a lot so we were just trying to make it easier on us to come back and then we just kind of start thinking about all the inventory that we lost the first time or like we need to go get the computers we need to go get the money we need to get the credit cards so we come back down and we start grabbing as much as we possibly can just running it upstairs however the waters just kept rising so mark soon ordered his employees to stop going downstairs he was concerned for their safety minutes later all the way down Main Street first floor windows and doors were being blown out by the tremendous power of water I'm on the second floor I have my phone out the window and it looks like it was like coming in waves up to 12 feet high I was like that's happening right now we're doing this again which was just like the worst deja vu ever there was this car that had been shoved up against this telephone pole with a tree inside of it and suddenly we've got across the street the electrical lines are falling over and they're starting to spark so that's when we bring everybody in from the balcony we don't need anyone getting shocked on top of it was just like very dramatic these employees that went from being employees to being of comforters the right word rescuers but they were in charge to make sure everyone's safe it was pretty remarkable saying if you find yourself trapped in a disaster situation it's very important to remain calm focused and thinking clearly of course whenever first responders are in the area pay attention and listen to their instructions but if they're not there yet your next best bet is to find someone who's trained to respond in emergencies and follow their lead as many people were four at the time being safe on upper floors Joan Eve Shea Cohen and her friend Gary Weltner were dangerously trapped by the ferocious floodwaters with nowhere to go and in desperate need of help he just said hold on hold on as tight as you can and I did with one arm I'm holding onto a railing across the Tiber River Bridge so as he was bent over actually trying to get forward I looked like I was on his back I probably wanted his repertory this brief glimpse of video taken by a neighbor captured Joan Eve and Gary as they slogged through the treacherous current another neighbor Callie Harris was trapped in her third-floor apartment across the street and watched it all play out it was really like so scary to watch because I was so helpless in the matter there's nothing I could do I just had to watch them kind of fight for their life I looked over my right shoulder at one point and I saw the two of the railings so that I had just held onto had broken away and I held Gary the railing is giving out we're gonna drown in the Tiber the unrelenting storm wound up choking the area with more than eight inches of rain in just three hours the Tiber River rose an astonishing 4 feet in just 13 minutes at one moment I was completely paralyzed I couldn't move and I really thought that the you know but somehow I guess it might be adrenaline to find the force and the energy to pull and as we got around the corner of the pillar the water was not as strong till we managed to continue up the back alley to safety at last the duo miraculously managed to stagger up the relative safety of the deck so we got up once of the dock and the two of us we hugged and we test and journey looked at me and she said Darry this must not be our time special bonds and a spirit of selflessness were forged in these floods there are heroes and all shapes and sizes I was amazed at the response of my staff to focus on you know the safety and well-being of our customers first it was a media there wasn't really a thought I think the actions of my staff likely saved several lives coming up firefighters to the rescue I was a really panicked before it was really scary being in there alone and the people of Ellicott City look after each other was the most amazing thing to me that his first thought was are my employees gonna be able to pay their bills welcome back the people of Ellicott City Maryland will never forget the flash flood that took their town hostage one Memorial Day weekend hundreds of people were trapped on Main Street for more than three hours some were forced to scramble to higher ground and as conditions changed first responders were able to rush in and rescue those who were stranded you have to take into consideration the the debris floating in the water down power lines because the power poles are getting knocked over by the water it's moving down the street so the hazards are all abound all around them and knowing where those hazards are and anticipating on what had to be done Ellicott City resident Callie Harris though safe was trapped with no way out I was a really panicked before it was really scary being in there alone I have no idea how the firefighters got into my building because the back part is kind of on a hill and it's hard to access and there was water rushing down I had to go with a firefighter who was so nice and we crawled up on the rooftops and then down some stairs and he helped me across the street up to higher ground made sure I was safe back at the Phoenix a different kind of support was taking place at one point I'm looking around and I don't see Marc anywhere so I go to find him and he's actually he's up in the office and I'm like what are you doing he's like I'm taking care of payroll it was the most amazing thing to me that his first thought was are my employees gonna be able to pay their bills with Marc busy being a hero for his employees Howard County first responders were on top of evacuations not just in Ellicott City but the entire area that was a challenge for us very early on to make sure that we dope that enough resources to make sure we could get the job done safely and to be able to you know give the people the service and the help that they need they're helping everybody you know get out and get to higher ground because there were a lot of people there so I had a big job to do just to know the firefighters had my back and you know they were in there with me and I wasn't totally alone anymore was really nice across the street Joan Eve was so grateful that her quick-thinking friend literally had her back but I will tell you that had Gary not been there I I don't know what I would have done I don't know I can't say that I can even imagine what my life would be like without her but I am so grateful that I was able to do what ever I was capable of doing to save my dearest friend the best give you a big metal that you should wear around your neck to find my hero coming up Ellicott City rebuilds reflux and has a reunion your department saved countless long as that bad it was an unbelievable coordinated effort but first another safety tip three easy tips that can help you stay safe in an emergency are to first build an emergency kit with water food first-aid supplies medications and other important items you can't live without the second is to create an evacuation plan and practice it with your household members this way there will be no confusion if faced with an emergency situation and third be informed know the Community Emergency Response plan and have routes mapped to your local shelters you can never be too prepared in the months following its second massive flood in two years the people of Ellicott City showed up strong and dug deep once again despite their broken hearts and damaged buildings they rebuilt that beautiful town but for Joan Eve who narrowly escaped with her life the immediate aftermath of the flood was too much to take well at this point I'm not returning to my having my own store I have to admit I'm still paying off debts from the 2016 flood and after going through not one but two floods Callie Harris decided to move on it just was time to rebuild somewhere else and start fresh especially after being through something that traumatic however on a gorgeous day in 2019 some of the folks gathered for a little reunion to celebrate in the spirit that got them through that flood and we're better to meet up then the reopened Phoenix we're happy to be back up and running with the Phoenix the customers feel so attached Theo this kid has been such an integral part of our business that had only made a sense of you know it was the communities the reason that we got this place cleaned out and rebuilt and we're back open he's a great boss I think we all want to help him and we all want to come back to work here I think we all consider it like a home the very act of rebuilding is an act of love you're making a commitment to the place you were in the place you made great memories sure it's hard and there is pain and loss that has happened but the human spirit will prevail and that's pretty amazing to see especially in a beautiful town like Ellicott City this is everyone's favorite restaurant when it snows everything else is closed schools are closed works are closed everyone who is within walking distance just all meats here it's great to be down here and see you guys nice and clean I saw them everyday trying to salvage what they could and the amount of work they were doing just on their business and and all the businesses along Main Street they are resilient they're not gonna let this go away and they'll rebuild the best they can and will keep supporting them your department saved countless long as that they got a fire department helped our Police Department it was an unbelievable coordinated effort yeah we certainly appreciate it this community is so tight it's so amazing and a lot of us are really eccentric and just like weird and different but like we all make it work and we're all in it together and I think that shows more than anything in in the aftermath of a disaster like this when everyone just shows up for everybody else I think what I miss the most about being in this wonderful charming historic Ellicott City are all my friends I mean I'm gonna start to cry because I know so many of them probably the majority of them who own businesses here too and we were all so close everybody cooperated everybody liked each other it's remarkable how fast a look at city is rebuilding and I do admire the courage and the determination of the people of this town and the resilience to want to come back even in an area where this may happen again I really in my gut feel that Ellicott City will be here for many years to come because of everything it's already been through I mean supposedly the history says that our town has been flooding since the 1700s well if that's true we're still here all over the world through Wars and floods and volcanoes and fires historic places have been destroyed but they've come back that's why I really believe Ellicott City will remain they will remain because there are strong people that wanted to thanks to the community for coming together the hardship from this historic flood was eased it's the human spirit at its best I'm ginger Zee thanks so much for watching you