The Ellicott City, Maryland, Floods of 2016 and 2018: Weather-Ready Nation Perspectives from a Small Business Owner and Landlord

Ron Peters is a resident of the historic mill town of Ellicott City, MD, a small business owner and a landlord who rents several buildings in Ellicott City for small businesses as well as apartments. Ron has lived in Ellicott City for more than 35 years and has experienced many floods but the last two (2016 & 2018) have been different. Ron will discuss his efforts to address the flooding problem in Ellicott City after placing high definition cameras along several locations, so we can begin to understand just how fast flooding can happen. Ron is passionate about preparing Ellicott City for the future even if it means that some buildings must come down. He will talk about his experiences to make Ellicott City more resilient in the face of more extreme heavy precipitation events. Ellicott City is strong, but the floods are more intense and more frequent than ever before. Come and listen and participate in the discussion. Ron is passionate about these disasters and what the future might hold for one of the oldest towns in America.