ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball joined the Ellicott City Partnership on Saturday, April 11, 2026, to officially unveil the return of the beloved Old Ellicott City (OEC) Clock. Photos from the event can be found on Howard County Government's Flickr webpage.
The Old Ellicott City Clock has always been more than a way to tell time. It has been a quiet witness to the life of this community, marking moments of joy, challenge, and renewal. Since the 2018 flood, the clock's absence has been felt on Main Street. Thanks to the generosity of so many donors and the leadership of the Ellicott City Partnership, we welcome it home. The Clock’s return is a reminder of something powerful: that what we value as a community, we restore. What we cherish, we preserve. And what defines us, we bring back, stronger than before.
In 2000, the Kiwanis Club of Ellicott City donated the original OEC clock. It stood on Main Street, located in the B&C Plaza at the bottom of the hill leading down to the Patapsco River for 16 years before being destroyed during the 2016 flood. After a new dedication and replacement of the clock in 2017, the clock was again swept away by major flooding in 2018.
In 2025, the County approved the return of the OEC Clock after making significant progress on flood mitigation on Lower Main Street and through the EC Safe and Sound Plan. On October 21, 2025, Ball joined the Ellicott City Partnership for “Back to the Future Day,” announcing the fundraising campaign to bring back the OEC Clock. Since the announcement, the Ellicott City Partnership announced a fundraising campaign for the return of the clock, which has raised more than $30,000.
The clock is more than just a piece of equipment. It’s a symbol of what’s possible when a community comes together to bring back something that honors the past and embraces the future.
Ellicott City Safe and Sound Progress
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October 2022: H-7 Retention Pond - Located at the U.S. 29 / U.S. 40 cloverleaf, H-7 is a “dry” pond that captures stormwater from upland tributaries before it can surge into the Tiber–Hudson Branch and Historic Main Street. H-7 holds roughly 4.2 million gallons of water.
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February 2023: Quaker Mill Retention Pond - Quaker Mill is the second major flood mitigation pond constructed under the Safe and Sound Plan, located mid-watershed along Rogers Ave, to reduce peak flows entering the Tiber–Hudson system by up to 30 percent during major storm events. Quaker Mill provides approximately 3.3 million gallons of water storage.
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September 2025: H-4 Retention Pond - H-4 is the third and largest flood mitigation pond constructed to date, located west of U.S. 29 along Frederick Road, designed to intercept flows farther upstream. H-4 can hold more than 5.5 million gallons of water, bringing total system detention to over 13 million gallons when combined with H-7 and Quaker Mill. The H-4 pond opened in September 2025.
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Extended North Tunnel - The North Tunnel is a approximately one-mile-long, 18-foot-diameter stormwater conveyance tunnel that will divert floodwater from the West End of Ellicott City directly to the Patapsco River. When complete, the Tunnel will move up to 26,000 gallons of water per second, relieving pressure on surface waterways and the downtown corridor. The County broke ground on the North Tunnel in June 2024. The tunnel will be constructed with a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) named “Rocky” after a public naming campaign. Substantial completion is targeted for Fall 2027. The North Tunnel is the largest public works project in Howard County history and a centerpiece of the long-term flood mitigation strategy for Ellicott City.
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Outdoor Tone Alert System & High-Ground Access - The Tone Alert System and High Ground Access Gates provide early flood warnings and evacuation support for Historic Ellicott City through sirens, automated gates, and marked high-ground routes. High-ground routes have been established on Maryland Avenue, Church Road, Old Columbia Pike, and Court Avenue.
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Stream & Watershed Debris-Clearing Program - Following significant storm events, Howard County’s Department of Public Works partners with the nonprofit Howard EcoWorks to conduct routine inspections and debris removal to keep channels clear and reduce the risk of blockages that cause backflow and contribute to flash flooding. These updated debris clearing efforts were formalized and have been ongoing since 2019. As of Spring 2026, more than 110,000 pounds of debris have removed from stream channels under this program.
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Lower Main Street Building Removal & Channel Widening - The County removed and modified structures constricting the Tiber Branch along Lower Main Street to expand channel capacity and create a flood-tolerant public space. In January 2024, the County began deconstruction of four County-owned buildings (8049, 8055, 8059, 8069 Main Street). The remaining six of ten County-owned buildings are being preserved, stabilized, and partially renovated while rear obstructions are removed.
Since announcing the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan in December 2018, Ball has secured more than $300 million across federal, state, and local sources to implement flood mitigation projects in Historic Ellicott City. This includes a $75 million loan from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program, which was secured in 2022.