Latest news with #Westernport
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Flood damage estimated upward of $78 million, Delaney's office says
WESTERNPORT — Damages from floods that consumed southwestern Allegany County nearly three weeks ago are estimated upward of $78 million, U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney's office said Friday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency since Wednesday has been assessing the area, although no decisions or timeline have been established for help. On Thursday, local and state emergency management officials updated the congresswoman on the extent of damage, ongoing response and recovery efforts. 'I'm committed to working in lockstep with the governor and our U.S. senators to help Mountain Maryland in their time of need,' McClain Delaney said. 'This will be a true bicameral effort to secure as much federal funding as possible,' she said. 'Our entire delegation must come together to lift up (the Allegany and Garrett county area) to ensure it has the resources and support it needs to recover, rebuild and thrive.' 'Ready to work' Aspects of the flood recovery were highlighted at the Allegany County Board of Commissioners meeting Thursday. 'We are still receiving federal support,' Commissioner Bill Atkinson said, adding that U.S. Sen. Angela Alsobrooks was expected to tour the area Friday. 'The Small Business Administration disaster loan assistance is on site, for low-interest disaster loans for flood-effected homeowners, renters, nonprofits and businesses,' he said. Crews from Royal Plus Disaster Cleanup Crews from Royal Plus Disaster Cleanup work Friday inside the Westernport Town Building, above. At right, Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton unloads a shipment of five-gallon buckets donated by Menard's of Morgantown, West Virginia. County Attorney T. Lee Beeman said a draft lease agreement with Beitzel Resources in Grantsville was finalized. 'They've been kind enough to donate warehouse space to us,' he said, adding that the area will be used to store flood relief items. County Administrator Jason Bennett said post-flood work continues in Westernport. 'All of our crews are currently up there,' he said. Commissioner Creade Brodie said he was grateful for people and agencies who helped 'with the recent devastation of the flood' in Allegany County. 'It did a number to us,' he said, thanking 'all four mayors of the crick,' regarding leaders of the lower Georges Creek region. 'What really amazed a lot of people from Midland to Westernport was the citizens that jumped in and helped,' Brodie said. 'Everyone showed up ready to work and ready to help.' Commissioner President Dave Caporale said more help is wanted. 'If you can give funds, supplies or your time, these folks still need it,' he said. 'We've got a long way to go.' Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton was at the meeting to thank county officials and workers for their support as her town recovers. Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton unloads a shipment of five-gallon buckets donated by Menard's of Morgantown, West Virginia, on Friday, May 30, 2025. She talked of Caporale 'scraping up floors one night, helping our rescue squad.' Brodie 'has checked in with me ... several times,' Hamilton said. 'A lot of our homes are damaged, we're still digging out mud,' she said. 'But, you guys have been wonderful ... I truly appreciate everything that you guys have done.' Across the country Jonathan Dayton is president of the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association in Allegany and Garrett counties. He was raised in Westernport and is an active volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician. The town's Potomac Fire Company No. 2 on Main Street sustained roughly 2 feet of water in the flood, Dayton said. The department is working with its insurance company as it navigates needed repairs, including new interior walls. 'It's kind of a waiting game,' Dayton said, adding that financial donations are appreciated. 'Insurance doesn't cover everything.' After the May 13 flood, the fire company's demand in the community grew by roughly 80% and included rock slides, water in basements, downed trees and electrical emergencies, he said. 'We've seen a major increase in calls,' Dayton said. Meanwhile, 'the fire station is still operational,' he said. 'It's been a very busy two weeks (and there's) a lot of work that still needs to be done,' Dayton said. He thanked volunteer emergency responders and mutual aid from departments across the region, including in West Virginia and Pennsylvania for their help during the flood. Robert Pattison Jr. and Shane Fazenbaker Potomac Fire Co. No. 2 members, from left, Robert Pattison Jr. and Shane Fazenbaker wash one of the department's engines Friday at the Main Street station in Westernport omn Friday, May 30, 2025. Westernport's Potomac Fire Company No. 2 Chief Tim Dayton said proactive approaches, such as rebuilding with metal walls, are being explored. He hopes the fire station is renovated within a couple of months. Tim Dayton talked of his gratitude for folks, many who came from across the country to support the tiny town's recovery. 'The outpouring of the citizens and the people coming in to help ... is unbelievable,' he said. Next door, Tri-Towns EMS was also flooded. 'Tri-Towns EMS suffered severe damage to our building due to the recent flooding,' a GoFundMe page for the organization stated Friday. 'Our entire basement was submerged, and the damage extended throughout the first floor of our station.' Tri-Towns also lost 'several thousand dollars worth of vital medical supplies, as well as furniture, office equipment and essential materials critical to our day-to-day operations,' the page stated. 'Spirit of service' Frostburg State University this week opened its doors to Westernport Elementary School staff and students. The May 13 floodwaters reached the second floor of their school and required roughly 150 students and 50 adults to be evacuated by boat and a high-profile vehicle. Due to extensive damage from the flood, the elementary school will be closed for the remainder of the academic year. The school of 295 students and staff will utilize space on the FSU campus until June 6. 'In the wake of the devastating flood, Bobcat Nation was happy to offer our support to Westernport Elementary School,' FSU Interim President Darlene Brannigan Smith said via press release. 'I'm proud of our staff who stepped up to quickly formulate a plan to provide learning spaces in our Education and Health Science Center for these elementary students — and dare I say future Bobcats.' FSU's Children's Literature Centre, which is housed in the EHSC, will be used for office space and provide supplemental lessons and activities for the students. 'Coincidentally, this year's school partner in the Children's Literature Centre's Adopt-A-School Program is Westernport Elementary School,' the release stated. In addition to spaces in the EHSC, the Westernport group will have access to Frostburg's fields and gymnasiums for physical education and recess, and space will be reserved in FSU's Lane University Center for student meals. 'Breakfast and lunch are being provided courtesy of the university's new food vendor, Aladdin, who only just began their contract with FSU on May 23,' the release stated. 'So many departments across our campus should be commended for working together to make this a reality for these children,' Smith said. 'Thanks go out to staff in the EHSC and CLC, Aladdin, FSU campus police, our facilities and athletics departments, our Lane Center and university bookstore, printing services and academic and student affairs.' Westernport's teachers were on campus Tuesday for an orientation and welcome session in preparation for the students' Thursday arrival. Students were greeted by FSU staff as well as a surprise visit from Frostburg's mascot, Bob E. Cat. Westernport Elementary School students and Bob E. Cat Westernport Elementary School students are greeted by Frostburg State University's mascot, Bob E. Cat, on Thursday, May 29, 2025. 'We are truly excited to have our family back together, and with the help of FSU, this is possible,' Westernport Principal Derek Horne said via the release. 'Our hearts are warmed by their generosity.' According to the release, FSU student volunteers on the night of the flood provided bedding and hygiene kits for stranded victims. The FSU Department of Athletics provided access to campus laundry facilities for a Lonaconing nursing home that was without water for four days. 'The efforts of our students, faculty, staff and administrators demonstrate the true spirit of service and all that FSU stands for,' Smith said. 'We're just so glad that something positive was able to come out of this tragedy.' Ways to help Checks can be sent to Potomac Fire Company No. 2, PO Box 326, Westernport, MD 21562. A GoFundMe to support Potomac Fire Co. No. 2 and Tri-Towns EMS will close June 7. Tri-Towns EMS also has its own GoFundMe page. Tri-Towns is selling 'Stronger than the Storm' shirts to raise funds for its rebuilding efforts. A variety of styles are available and range in price from about $20 to $40. Learn more at The Western Maryland Strong Fund states it was created 'to provide a secure and reliable repository for contributions, ensuring support reaches individuals and families impacted by the flooding with flexible aid for evolving needs.' Learn more at
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Moore: 'I've been so inspired'
WESTERNPORT — When 9 feet of water rushed into the basement of their Church Street home, Mark Slider and his partner Steve Matthews lost items including a new $14,000 boiler, washer, dryer and refrigerator that floated up to the ceiling and knocked out plumbing. Despite devastation caused by Tuesday's flood, Slider talked of his gratitude for the close-knit community that welcomed the same-sex couple 20 years ago and has treated them like family ever since. 'When we moved here I didn't know what to expect,' he said. 'But we couldn't have picked a more accepting place.' That gentle spirit and love of community felt almost palpable across the tiny town, which was covered with mud, muck and mold as residents welcomed Gov. Wes Moore Thursday. 'I'm appreciative of (Moore's visit) because Western Maryland usually seems to get left out,' Slider said. 'We need help.' His plea was apparently answered. Moore, after seeing the town's destruction, declared a state of emergency to strengthen Maryland's response to the flood-damaged region. Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton led the governor, Congresswoman April McClain Delaney and others on a tour of spots hit hard by the flood, including Tri-Towns EMS, Boal Funeral Home and the local library. During the walk, Moore talked to area residents on mud-covered sidewalks and porches. Gov. Wes Moore in Westernport Gov. Wes Moore is in Westernport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Some yards contained broken fences, crushed lawns and battered, scattered sandbags. Folks filled dumpsters with debris as the Maryland State Police Trooper 5 helicopter circled above to further assess the damage. Water poured from a drain pipe through the side of a wall at Westernport Elementary School, where cars were drowned and abandoned in the nearby parking lot. Despite the wreckage, as sunset approached bells rang at St. Peter's Catholic Church and raised a reminder that life goes on in the small, rural town. After the tour, the governor talked of what stood out most. 'It's the people,' he said. 'I've been so inspired,' Moore said. 'We're seeing the best of Maryland.' 'Within minutes' Allegany County Emergency Services Interim Director Roger Bennett said Moore made state help available 'within minutes' of the flood. Roger Bennett, April McClain Delaney, Wes Moore Allegany County Emergency Services Interim Director Roger Bennett, center, talks to Congresswoman April McClain Delaney and Gov. Wes Moore in Westernport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. 'Everyone at the state got us resources,' he said of aid, including water rescue teams. Maryland departments, including natural resources, police and environment responded, Bennett said. Helping hands Kristi Williams recently moved to Delaware, but is a lifetime member of Tri-Towns EMS. Kristi Williams Kristi Williams 'This is my hometown,' she said of Westernport, where she was a police and fire commissioner. Despite wearing medical boots on both feet due to injuries sustained in snow, Williams returned to the EMS station to help clean up after the flood. Folks rallied to help clean and set up fans and dehumidifiers, she said. 'It was a lot of hands so it made the work light,' Williams said. 'We were all working together so well. It became a feeling ... an emotion.' Mike Wilhelm and his granddaughter's boyfriend, Aden Cebotar, tossed items into a dumpster parked near Main Street. Mike Wilhelm and Aden Cebotar Mike Wilhelm, right, and Aden Cebotar toss items into a dumpster parked near Main Street in Westernport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. 'I lost everything out of my basement,' Wilhelm said, adding that water rose to just 18 inches below the cellar's ceiling. His items destroyed by the flood included a large freezer, tools, a washer, a dryer and a hot water tank. While the loss amounted to several thousand dollars, 'It isn't much compared to other people,' Wilhelm said of many of his neighbors. Mold started Allegany County Library System Executive Director John Taube said water rushed through side doors at the Westernport branch. He believes that caused furniture to float into a panic bar and open another door of the building. More than 30 chairs then floated downtown, Taube said. He described some of the building's damage. 'You can see the water marks on the wall,' Taube said. 'The mold has already started to grow.' He said a $21,000 flood insurance policy will cover roughly $500,000 for the building and $181,000 for contents. 'Luckily, our shelving is steel,' Taube said of being able to power wash the units. Due to flooding, the Westernport and George's Creek library branches are closed. The ACLS Board of Trustees, which for months has discussed solutions for a budget deficit, will meet at the LaVale branch from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday. 'Very grateful' Tri-Towns EMS Chief Justin White was 10 years old when the town flooded in 1996. Gov. Wes Moore, Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton and Tri-Towns EMS Chief Justin White Gov. Wes Moore, Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton and Tri-Towns EMS Chief Justin White 'This is worse now,' he said. 'Just the mud and wreckage and debris ... it's a lot.' White thanked area residents and nearby EMS stations from Keyser and southern Garrett County for helping Tri-Towns with the flood damage. 'We're very grateful,' he said. 'The community has stepped up.' His wife, Brittany, said the couple's two teenage sons and their family home remained safe during the flood, but the experience was surreal. 'It was almost like living in a movie,' she said. Brycen Garner, 20, said his mom is an EMT at Tri-Towns, where he also volunteers. Brycen Garner Brycen Garner 'It's been a shock,' he said of witnessing the flood and seeing it damage a friend's house. 'I was up on the hill and could just hear it.' Laundry, prisoners State Sen. Mike McKay said he's working on creative approaches to help folks in Westernport. State Sen. Mike McKay State Sen. Mike McKay As president of the Mid- Atlantic Association of Cleaners, he reached out to the leader of Procter & Gamble's Tide division to bring a tractor-trailer filled with running washing machines and dryers to Westernport for residents who, due to the flood, lost their ability to clean laundry. A local church agreed to facilitate the mobile laundry unit, McKay said. 'I'm working on getting that to happen,' he said. 'My goal is to have it here within three weeks.' McKay said he is also working with the state Department of Corrections to provide inmate labor to clean the town. The workers would be from low-crime backgrounds, vetted and properly supervised, he said. McKay said he wants to make sure areas damaged by the flood receive long-term help. He compared the needed aid for the recent weather event to immediate attention that surrounds a newborn but later fades when most needed. 'The flood to me ... is kind of like a young mother who just gave birth,' McKay said.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Moore: 'I've been so inspired'
WESTERNPORT — When 9 feet of water rushed into the basement of their Church Street home, Mark Slider and his partner Steve Matthews lost items including a new $14,000 boiler, washer, dryer and refrigerator that floated up to the ceiling and knocked out plumbing. Despite devastation caused by Tuesday's flood, Slider talked of his gratitude for the close-knit community that welcomed the same-sex couple 20 years ago and has treated them like family ever since. 'When we moved here I didn't know what to expect,' he said. 'But we couldn't have picked a more accepting place.' That gentle spirit and love of community felt almost palpable across the tiny town, which was covered with mud, muck and mold as residents welcomed Gov. Wes Moore Thursday. 'I'm appreciative of (Moore's visit) because Western Maryland usually seems to get left out,' Slider said. 'We need help.' His plea was apparently answered. Moore, after seeing the town's destruction, declared a state of emergency to strengthen Maryland's response to the flood-damaged region. Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton led the governor, Congresswoman April McClain Delaney and others on a tour of spots hit hard by the flood, including Tri-Towns EMS, Boal Funeral Home and the local library. During the walk, Moore talked to area residents on mud-covered sidewalks and porches. Gov. Wes Moore in Westernport Gov. Wes Moore is in Westernport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Some yards contained broken fences, crushed lawns and battered, scattered sandbags. Folks filled dumpsters with debris as the Maryland State Police Trooper 5 helicopter circled above to further assess the damage. Water poured from a drain pipe through the side of a wall at Westernport Elementary School, where cars were drowned and abandoned in the nearby parking lot. Despite the wreckage, as sunset approached bells rang at St. Peter's Catholic Church and raised a reminder that life goes on in the small, rural town. After the tour, the governor talked of what stood out most. 'It's the people,' he said. 'I've been so inspired,' Moore said. 'We're seeing the best of Maryland.' 'Within minutes' Allegany County Emergency Services Interim Director Roger Bennett said Moore made state help available 'within minutes' of the flood. Roger Bennett, April McClain Delaney, Wes Moore Allegany County Emergency Services Interim Director Roger Bennett, center, talks to Congresswoman April McClain Delaney and Gov. Wes Moore in Westernport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. 'Everyone at the state got us resources,' he said of aid, including water rescue teams. Maryland departments, including natural resources, police and environment responded, Bennett said. Helping hands Kristi Williams recently moved to Delaware, but is a lifetime member of Tri-Towns EMS. Kristi Williams Kristi Williams 'This is my hometown,' she said of Westernport, where she was a police and fire commissioner. Despite wearing medical boots on both feet due to injuries sustained in snow, Williams returned to the EMS station to help clean up after the flood. Folks rallied to help clean and set up fans and dehumidifiers, she said. 'It was a lot of hands so it made the work light,' Williams said. 'We were all working together so well. It became a feeling ... an emotion.' Mike Wilhelm and his granddaughter's boyfriend, Aden Cebotar, tossed items into a dumpster parked near Main Street. Mike Wilhelm and Aden Cebotar Mike Wilhelm, right, and Aden Cebotar toss items into a dumpster parked near Main Street in Westernport on Thursday, May 15, 2025. 'I lost everything out of my basement,' Wilhelm said, adding that water rose to just 18 inches below the cellar's ceiling. His items destroyed by the flood included a large freezer, tools, a washer, a dryer and a hot water tank. While the loss amounted to several thousand dollars, 'It isn't much compared to other people,' Wilhelm said of many of his neighbors. Mold started Allegany County Library System Executive Director John Taube said water rushed through side doors at the Westernport branch. He believes that caused furniture to float into a panic bar and open another door of the building. More than 30 chairs then floated downtown, Taube said. He described some of the building's damage. 'You can see the water marks on the wall,' Taube said. 'The mold has already started to grow.' He said a $21,000 flood insurance policy will cover roughly $500,000 for the building and $181,000 for contents. 'Luckily, our shelving is steel,' Taube said of being able to power wash the units. Due to flooding, the Westernport and George's Creek library branches are closed. The ACLS Board of Trustees, which for months has discussed solutions for a budget deficit, will meet at the LaVale branch from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday. 'Very grateful' Tri-Towns EMS Chief Justin White was 10 years old when the town flooded in 1996. Gov. Wes Moore, Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton and Tri-Towns EMS Chief Justin White Gov. Wes Moore, Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton and Tri-Towns EMS Chief Justin White 'This is worse now,' he said. 'Just the mud and wreckage and debris ... it's a lot.' White thanked area residents and nearby EMS stations from Keyser and southern Garrett County for helping Tri-Towns with the flood damage. 'We're very grateful,' he said. 'The community has stepped up.' His wife, Brittany, said the couple's two teenage sons and their family home remained safe during the flood, but the experience was surreal. 'It was almost like living in a movie,' she said. Brycen Garner, 20, said his mom is an EMT at Tri-Towns, where he also volunteers. Brycen Garner Brycen Garner 'It's been a shock,' he said of witnessing the flood and seeing it damage a friend's house. 'I was up on the hill and could just hear it.' Laundry, prisoners State Sen. Mike McKay said he's working on creative approaches to help folks in Westernport. State Sen. Mike McKay State Sen. Mike McKay As president of the Mid- Atlantic Association of Cleaners, he reached out to the leader of Procter & Gamble's Tide division to bring a tractor-trailer filled with running washing machines and dryers to Westernport for residents who, due to the flood, lost their ability to clean laundry. A local church agreed to facilitate the mobile laundry unit, McKay said. 'I'm working on getting that to happen,' he said. 'My goal is to have it here within three weeks.' McKay said he is also working with the state Department of Corrections to provide inmate labor to clean the town. The workers would be from low-crime backgrounds, vetted and properly supervised, he said. McKay said he wants to make sure areas damaged by the flood receive long-term help. He compared the needed aid for the recent weather event to immediate attention that surrounds a newborn but later fades when most needed. 'The flood to me ... is kind of like a young mother who just gave birth,' McKay said.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
150 students and 50 adults are rescued from elementary school after flood waters consume town
Around 150 students and 50 adults evacuated Westernport Elementary School in Maryland via rescue boats Tuesday after severe flooding reportedly reached the second floor. It took 15 boat trips to safely get those in the school to safety, Allegany County spokesperson Kati Kenney said. Students were taken to a church on higher ground, where they remained under the care of teachers and staff until their parents arrived. "The first floor had been flooded all the way to the ceiling,' William Wade, a fourth-grader at the school, told KDKA. "I'm just happy to be alive," Wade added. Hours of heavy rainfall in Maryland also swamped downtown homes and businesses, prompting evacuations in nearby areas. Emergency crews from surrounding counties were assisting, but no injuries had been reported as of late Tuesday afternoon. Heavy rainfall on Tuesday also affected parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania, including Albemarle County, Virginia, where an unnamed 12-year-old boy went missing after being swept away by floodwaters overtaking a roadway, according to a 911 caller. A flood warning is in effect in the area until 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Westernport, Maryland, Mayor Judy Hamilton noted that while the town has a history of severe flooding, Tuesday's events were unexpected. "It just seemed to happen all at once," she said. "My heart is breaking." Parts of Allegany County received over 4.65 inches of rain in 24 hours, with more expected through Wednesday morning, according to the governor's office. Residents noted they haven't seen flooding this bad since 1996. Search efforts were paused overnight due to poor visibility and safety concerns, but will resume Wednesday. The Albemarle County Fire Rescue asked residents not to 'self-deploy' amid the dangerous conditions and that the department is not requesting any volunteer efforts at this time.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Terror in classroom as flash flooding sends gushing river onto campus while students flee
Flash flooding has reached new levels in Maryland as water levels breached the second floor of a school, prompting evacuations. Around 150 school children and 50 teachers fled by boat after Westernport Elementary School was deluged by raging floodwaters on Tuesday. The water rose so quickly that the students were trapped inside the building, including brothers William and Quinton Wade. 'I'm just happy to be alive,' fourth-grade student William Wade told CBS. 'I went on a motorboat and they drove us over to where there was no water and we saw how high the water was,' he added. 'We went over to the train tracks and we got on like this little truck thingy. We took off our life vests, and they drove us up to a church.' 'Whenever we were going down to get in the boat, the first floor was flooded,' second-grade student Quinton added. Longtime Westernport resident and mother of the two boys Alley Wade said she has never seen flooding so bad in the rural town, which sits close to the West Virginia border. 'I have never. Now, I believe there was a bad flood in 1996, but I was 4,' she told CBS. Homes and businesses in downtown Westernport were also inundated with floodwaters after hours of heavy rain. Officials reassured the public that students and staff were safe as concerned parents and other community members posted on social media wondering how long the emergency situation would last at Westernport Elementary School. Allegany County spokesperson Kati Kenney said responders used rescue boats to safely evacuate the school. About 150 students and 50 adults were evacuated during 15 boat trips. Kenney said additional evacuations were underway in nearby areas, with reports of people trapped in cars and houses, but no injuries had been reported as of late Tuesday afternoon. She said emergency crews from surrounding counties were helping with the response in the small community near the West Virginia line. Another elementary school was also evacuated, and students at a middle school were sheltering in place, the Allegany County Department of Emergency Services said Tuesday evening. Officials said three emergency shelters had been opened across the county. Aaron Stallings, rushed to Westernport Elementary to pick up his little sister earlier Tuesday afternoon, but he soon realized his car wouldn't make it. Stallings said he hopped a fence and made his way on foot through the shin-deep water. 'I knew my car was not going to get through, so I had to find an alternate route,' he said. Stallings said children were being kept on the second and third floors when he made his way inside. Minutes after he located his sister with the help of the principal, the water level on the first floor had already risen again to his knees and was rushing under the school doors. Once he waded back outside with his sister, Stallings turned around to capture video of the scene, where parked cars and a dumpster were floating through the school's parking lot. Alley Wade also left work early when she heard about flooding downtown. She and her husband hoped to pick up their two sons, ages 8 and 10, but they couldn't get to the school because roads were already closed. Instead, they spent most of the afternoon standing around in the rain anxiously watching the floodwaters rise. 'It was stressful because I felt so helpless,' Wade said. The family was finally reunited after the students had been evacuated. Wade said there were a lot of crying kids, but thankfully everyone was safe. Roads throughout the area were closed due to flooding, including major arteries, according to the Allegany County Sheriff's Office. Westernport Mayor Judy Hamilton said the town has been prone to severe flooding in the past, but they weren't expecting it today. 'It just seemed to happen all at once,' she said. 'My heart is breaking.' She said the evacuated students were taken to higher ground and sheltered in a church building, where they would be kept safe by teachers and staff until their parents could pick them up. Around 150 school children and 50 teachers fled by boat after Westernport Elementary School was deluged by raging floodwaters on Tuesday With a population under 2,000 people, Westernport is located in the far corner of western Maryland. Its downtown took shape in a valley where George's Creek flows into the North Branch Potomac River. The National Weather Service reported widespread flash flooding in the area Tuesday afternoon. 'We are closely monitoring the flood conditions that are present across Western Maryland due to heavy rainfall, especially in Allegany County,' Gov. Wes Moore said in a social media post, adding that the state and local authorities were actively responding to the inundation. Hamilton said the last time Westernport suffered from devastating floods was in 1996. 'But we're strong and we always build back,' she said. In West Virginia, Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency Tuesday night in Mineral County, along the Maryland border, due to severe storms and heavy rains that resulted in flash flooding. The declaration allows the state to mobilize personnel and resources to the area.
