After the Floods: The Search for Resilience in Ellicott City

Small towns across America and around the world face mounting challenges with flood risk, a result of not only climate change but also poorly adapted landscapes, sprawl, overdevelopment and poor planning. After the Floods is about Ellicott City, a small town in central Maryland that experienced two devastating flash floods just 22 months apart. Despite the town’s many advantages―wealth, access to expertise, a mobilized community, and a stout identity steeped in 250 years of history―Ellicott City found itself mired in a deeply divisive argument over what to do in the aftermath. As a resident, Ken Conca bore firsthand witness to the conflict that took root when the flood waters receded.