Woodberry Businesses Reeling From Flash Floods

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- While cleanup continues in Ellicott City following the weekend's flash floods, parts of Baltimore that weren't spared by the sudden deluge are also picking up the pieces.

The flooding created by Saturday's storms carried some vehicles away like bath toys, had others bouncing around like pinballs and stacked up others yet like building blocks.

As WJZ's Rick Ritter reports, the Woodberry neighborhood, which lies near the Jones Falls Expressway, was among the hardest hit areas. In the wake of the storm, business owners are left questioning whether or not to rebuild.

RELATED: Historic Ellicott City Faces Long Recovery After Devastating Floods

Days later, authorities acknowledged it's a storm event unlike one they've ever encountered. The Baltimore City Fire Department responded to roughly 20 flood-related incidents, including several water rescues in the Meadow Mills parking lot.

"Eight to 12 feet of standing water and flooding, that's more than what you may see in some pools or beaches," fire department spokesperson Sam Johnson told WJZ.

Fortunately, no one was hurt. But for many people whose livelihoods depend on thriving business, the damage had been done -- their inventory washed away.

Brian Arnold, owner of Nepenthe Homebrew, has been surveying the damage left behind and it's not pretty. For the second time in recent years, his business fell victim to flooding -- this time from water that came crashing through the walls.

"It is water, mud, sewage, feces, anything else that was in the Jones Falls," Arnold said.

The storm caused more than $100,000 damage to the business during a time of year when, ownership said, they already struggle to make ends meet.

"We're coming off our slow season right now, so money is extra tight for us," said owner Jill Antos.

But Arnold recognized that while the impact to his bottom line is severe, it doesn't compare to the devastation wreaked in Historic Ellicott City in nearby Howard County.

"We still have a building, we have a place to put things up and nobody was hurt, so that's the silver lining," he said.

Rebuilding Nepenthe won't be cheap, but Arnold praised the community for already stepping up to help Woodberry businesses rebound from the setback. If you would like to help, there is a GoFundMe account in place for that purpose. Just CLICK HERE.