Pocomoke hardest hit by downpour

By late Monday afternoon, floodwaters had crossed Route 113’s southbound lanes north of Pocomoke City in at least two places, Route 756 was about to be shut down, and both Market Street and Clarke Avenue were closed in places because of rising water from a coastal storm.

By Tuesday morning, City Manager/City Attorney Ernie Crofoot said things had become calmer, the flash flooding had started to subside and cleanup efforts were underway.

“The combination of the volume of rain, the short time factor and the fact that stormwater mitigation swales and other measures can only hold so much water led to the flooding,” Crofoot said.

The wastewater treatment plant was “the least of his concerns” on Monday, he said, though the town did need to switch holding lagoons to accommodate all the runoff. Crofoot said several manhole covers in town were dislodged and overflowed during the squall.

Reports of a lightning strike at Pocomoke’s Hartley Hall were confirmed by Gary Crowley, administrator. The strike did not hit the center itself, but nearby, causing minor issues but not interrupting services to residents. Though the flooding was severe near Hartley Hall, the facility did not take on water, Crowley said.

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