“The kettles are gone, and they're very expensive to replace,” noted Antos. However, the brew-on-premise side of the business was on indefinite hold. Rebuilt and re-supplied, Nepenthe reopened on Sept. Volunteers from the homebrew community once again rushed to the rescue to help clean up and salvage what could be salvaged. Three cars ended up atop one another directly outside the entrance. “The water was right up to the exact same level as last time-about five feet deep,” said co-owner Jill Antos. Such a waste! Some of the muddied bottles pulled from the Phoenix Emporium after the flooding.

Not so fortunate was Nepenthe Homebrew, left completely wiped out and mud-soaked just like in a similar flash flood two years ago. Also spared by its higher location: Waverly Brewing around the corner.īirroteca, downstream, had water up to its front steps, but no serious damage other than to customers’ cars. “We'd already moved the party inside, and we're still high enough to not get hit directly, but we all watched some attendees' cars float away from the lower parking lots,” said brewery co-owner Jon Zerevitz. Union Craft Brewing was hosting its fourth anniversary party as the monsoon hit. The impact was most strongly felt in Woodberry.įor the second time in two years, homebrewer volunteers help shovel mud and salvage what they can out of Baltimore's Nepenthe Homebrew, three days after it was hit by flash flooding on July 30, the same night as Ellicott City's flooding. Meanwhile, in Baltimore, flash flooding swept down the Jones Falls Valley, which parallels I-83 and divides much of the town in two. (Ironically, Victory Storm King Imperial Stout was on tap both during the storm and upon reopening.) “We were very, very lucky,” said Johnson at a reopening happy hour on Aug. Nevertheless, it remained shuttered until authorities allowed access to that part of town. The Judge's Bench, near the top of the hill, received “no damage whatsoever,” said owner Mike Johnson, who was out of town that night.

It was originally slated to reopen in late September, but received “significant” water damage. The reopening of the former Diamondback Tavern as Manor Hill Tavern will likely get pushed back until at least October or November, assuming the town reopens and has available parking, says co-owner Randy Marriner. It is our hope that by creating a fund for them, they will be able to return to work with us when we are finally able to do so.” They need help with living expenses, rent, car payments, etc. We are trying to locate employment for our staff. Ellicott City will remain closed for an extended period of time. “Our flood insurance does not cover business interruption or employee wages. “My employees need your help,” Hemmis wrote on-line. Mark Hemmis of The Phoenix Emporium and Kendzierski, along with several other bar and restaurant owners, immediately set up online fundraisers-not for themselves, but for their workers. Volunteer cleanup crews were organized via social media.

The brewpub and the adjacent storage building suffered over $200,000 in damages, said Kendzierski. The basement quickly filled as staff hustled the customers first to the main floor, then to the second floor. Water and mud completely filled the first floor, forcing the staff and 28 customers upstairs to await eventual rescue.įurther up Main Street, Timothy Kendzierski, co-owner of Ellicott Mills Brewing, was working at the basement-level “Batskeller” bar when the rain began. Unfortunately, the building directly straddles the foot of Tiber Creek across the street from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station Museum. The entire downtown district was closed off even business owners were not permitted into their own buildings for fear structural integrity had been compromised.Īmong the most heavily impacted businesses was the Phoenix Emporium, one of the first bars in Maryland to promote the microbrew renaissance in the 1980s. The resulting state of emergency lasted well over a month. On August 24, Howard County authorities still maintained a security checkpoint outside Ellicott Mills Brewing’s two damaged buildings on Main Street in Ellicott City, Md. Bar and restaurant patrons fled to upper floors, watching in horror as over 200 cars were washed away, along with sidewalks, building foundations and walls. The result was record flash flooding as the Tiber Creek overflowed its banks and washed out Ellicott City’s historic shopping district. 5 inches in one location northwest of Ellicott City.

Saturday, July 30, 2016-a thunderstorm dumped massive amounts of rain in the Baltimore area, up to 6. Mid Atlantic Brew News - October/November 2016 After The Deluge: Graft Beer Community Pitches In For Flood Victims

Phoenix emporium ellicott city flood