floods and flooding

Satellite images of the storm that caused historic flooding in Baltimore and other parts of the Northeast show a system massive enough to rival some tropical storms that have hit the region.

Heavy rains shut down several roads and led to water rescues in Baltimore, emergency officials said.

For Maryland's two largest cities on the Chesapeake, flooding that once occurred just a day or two in any given year is increasingly common – more so than anywhere else in the country, according to a recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study.

Periods of rain showers, possibly heavy at times, and afternoon or evening storms are likely Tuesday as a low-pressure system moves through the region.

The average number of days Annapolis and Baltimore see flooding that causes road closures or overwhelmed storm drains has grown ten-fold over the past 50 years, the largest increase in the nation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A series of severe storms blew through the Baltimore region Monday evening, bringing heavy rain, lightning and strong winds that factored into at least one death, officials say.

Thursday is expected to be hot and sunny with a small chance for scattered thunderstorms throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service.

Tucked amid the woods of northern Baltimore County is one of Maryland's natural gems – the Big Gunpowder Falls, a nationally renowned trout stream that draws anglers from far and wide to try their skills and luck in the cold, rushing water.

Storms bringing downpours and an intense flurry of lightning destroyed a church steeple, caved in the roof of a Middle River home and closed the Walters Art Museum for the day Thursday, amid another deluge in a season that has already raised concerns about flooding and erosion.

Members of Aberdeen's Moose Lodge 1450, on Rogers Street, are looking to move, and the city is among those considering buying their property.

An advancing cold front was expected to bring storms overnight and through Thursday, with temperatures reaching around 90 degrees before cooler air arrives.

A tract of land on Ellicott City's west end may become the location of a senior townhome community, engineers said at a community meeting Wednesday.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which supplies water to Prince George's and Montgomery counties, is under fire from many in Laurel for opening all seven floodgates of the T. Howard Duckett Dam April 30 following days of heavy rain.

A flash flood watch is in effect across the region Friday, and heavy rain was reducing visibility and causing ponding of water on roadways in the afternoon.

Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to continue throughout the day Friday, with heavy rains that could produce flash floods and coastal flooding possible.

Scattered showers and likely thunderstorms are forecast Thursday, with more intense humidity and highs in the mid-80s.

A flash flood watch is in effect across Central Maryland through late Tuesday, with storms and heavy rain possible. A burst of heavy rain inundated College Park and surrounding areas Tuesday morning.

April's floods left the school without rehearsal studios one month before the big annual concert

A developing El Nino is forecast to suppress tropical storms and hurricanes this summer and fall, contributing to a below-normal storm season, U.S. forecasters said Thursday.

A report released Tuesday by the Union of Concerned Scientists says historic Annapolis, the Naval Academy and the new Harriet Tubman national monument in low-lying Dorchester County are among dozens of historic sites nationwide at risk from rising sea level, flooding and worsening wildfires as the climate changes.

Isolated thunderstorms and heavy rain are forecast to bring flooding risks across the region Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for Howard County and the surrounding region Friday as heavy rainfall soaks the area.

A second deluge in little more than two weeks is forecast to soak the region Friday, making for a miserable Black-Eyed Susan Day at Pimlico Race Course – though officials are confident in a fast track for a sunny and cool Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

Riverfront Park in Laurel is closed today, May 15, and the American Legion commuter parking lot is expected to be closed Friday morning, according to city spokeswoman Audrey Barnes, who said city officials took action in acticipation of possible flooding with the forecast of up to three inches of rain today and tomorrow.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for Frederick, Montgomery and Washington counties until 8 p.m. as a cold front moves through the region, bringing periods of heavy rain Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon.

Central Maryland is under a flash flood watch, with heavy rain and storms forecast late Thursday and Friday.

John L. Bell, a retired civil engineer who was a partner in the Baltimore engineering firm of Rummel, Klepper & Kahl LLP, died April 28 of pneumonia at Anne Arundel Medical Center. He was 92.