Paid for by Citizens for Colburn Committee. Authority John W. Phillips, Jr., Treasurer

Governor may visit Mid-Shore to see damage
Sen. Colburn hopes to convince Ehrlich to “stop by”
By CHRISTIAN TORRES, Staff Writer - Star Democrat
June 28, 2006

DENTON — Gov. Robert Ehrlich could be touring flood-damaged areas by Wednesday or Thursday, according to Sen. Richard Colburn, R-37-Mid-Shore.

Colburn, who is attending the Maryland Municipal League Conference (MML) in Ocean City, said in a phone conversation Tuesday he had been in conversations with the governor, who is also attending the conference, and briefing Ehrlich on the situation throughout the Mid-Shore.

Colburn said he hopes to convince the governor to “stop by” affected areas on either Wednesday or Thursday. The conference ends Wednesday.

Colburn, who also serves as Federalsburg’s town manager, was directed to go to the conference by Federalsburg Mayor Betty Ballas to brief state officials on the extensive flood damage in Federalsburg.

On Sunday, Colburn met with high-ranking state officials to brief them on the situation, in particular, in Dorchester and Caroline counties, which were hardest hit by the storms.

According to early estimates, the damage caused by the flooding may exceed $6 million, which Colburn said would qualify the area for some federal funding.

“Some people have lost everything,” Colburn said. “We’re hoping to help these people with federal and state aid.”

Colburn toured the damaged areas Tuesday, including the Maryland and Delaware Railroad line which runs adjacent to state Route 307 in Caroline and Dorchester counties. Portions of the line sustained heavy damage because of water run-off.

One area of the line of about 100 feet near Williamsburg in Dorchester County, had its foundation washed away, allowing the tracks to fall into a crater.

In Federalsburg, a section of the line was washed away on Railroad Avenue. Colburn estimates the track sustained more than $3 million in damage. A $4.5 million renovation of the line was recently completed.

Colburn said anyone with significant damage to property as a result of flooding should contact their county emergency management agency so they can coordinate and collect damage estimates. “What I’m hoping is we don’t have any kind of issues on who will pay for what,” he said. “I want the efforts as coordinated as possible.”

Even though the extent of the storm came as a surprise to most people, Colburn said he applauded local volunteer firefighters, police and town officials for dealing with the situation as best they could. “This type of rain you only see every 150 years,” he said. “It was way too much rain in a short period of time.”

But the Mid-Shore may not get a reprieve from the wicked weather with rain forecast through the end of the week. “We’re praying we don’t get four inches of rain,” he said. “It would really be a back-breaker.”