EC Stories: Flood, Recovery, Community

By Kat Forder

What makes someone return and rebuild a town after a catastrophic flood? What is powerful enough to unite an eclectic community towards a single purpose? Why rebuild? Why invest and reinvest in a town designed to flood? And why do people love Ellicott City, Maryland so fiercely? EC Stories is an illustrated anthology of stories from those who love Ellicott City - the fans, volunteers, residents and business owners who devoted themselves to cleaning up after the second deadly flood to strike this area in 22 months. The book is a soulful visual and written record, a type of journal of the hope, love, and recovery in the town.When the May 27, 2018 flood hit Ellicott City, few were expecting it, and no one expected it so soon. Many thought the 2016 flood was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Few could imagine that something this drastic would happen again. By all measurements the 2018 flash flood was worse than the one 22 months prior. This knowledge has made recovery from this flood a very different experience for those who have built their lives around this town. There is uncertainty now about what a future Ellicott City will look like. There is debate about how best to prevent this from happening again and there is driving need to ensure no more lives are lost in this picturesque town. EC Stories is a collection of stories and experiences from the aftermath of the 2018 flash flood, as shared by the volunteers, residents and business owners on Main Street. Collecting, illustrating and telling these stories began as a way to make sense of the destruction, raw emotion and other-worldly experience that I encountered by working in the flood recovery zone day after day. The task of finding the story, seeking the joy, and sharing the spirit of the town became the antidote to the near post-apocalyptic landscape. Many more books could be written about this unique place, it's vibrant people, their victories, and their struggles. This one reflects the nature of the town itself; individual stories that together create something whole and beautiful. It's my hope that this glimpse behind-the-scenes of the 2018 flood recovery can help others answer the question "why"?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1723775665
• ISBN13: 9781723775666
• Release Date: September 2018
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 203 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"