4 dead, 2 missing in rain-hit Maryland

1:17 p.m.

MYERSVILLE, Md. — Two young men and a woman were killed and Maryland authorities were looking for two missing teenagers as several days of torrential rains led to flooding in parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.

More than 2,200 people were evacuated from their homes in an area surrounding a Montgomery County lake that was approaching 25 feet above its normal level today, county officials said.

In Virginia, more than 200 roads were closed because of flooding, and the Virginia Department of Transportation expected that number to rise along with water levels.

Crews were making emergency repairs, cleaning clogged drains and removing downed trees and limbs to keep roadways safe for motorists.

In the District, Mayor Anthony A. Williams declared an indefinite state of emergency because of the threat of power outages and other weather-related problems.

The declaration allows the mayor to request assistance from the D.C. National Guard, which is under the command of President Bush. It also clears the way for the city to quickly acquire emergency supplies and provide property owners with financial assistance.

The declaration is considered a first step toward seeking federal emergency disaster aid, if necessary.

The mayor planned to spend today inspecting storm damage and visiting the crews making repairs.

The storm has claimed the lives of four persons in Maryland since Monday, including a person killed in a single-car crash near Bowie that likely was weather related.

Police in Frederick County said three Myersville adults, ranging in age from 19 to 29, were stranded in high water shortly before 9 p.m. yesterday when Middle Creek, a stream that runs alongside Maryland Route 17, overflowed its banks and washed across the road.

Neighbors pulled the three from their vehicle and got them loaded in the bed of a pickup truck, but the truck stalled in high water, and the three were washed over the side, Frederick County Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Michael Dmuchowski said.

Farmer David Grossnickle, who tried to rescue the three, said he saw them clinging to tree branches in the water screaming for help. Water from the creek stood about 5 feet deep on the road, Mr. Grossnickle said.

The last of the three bodies was recovered about 2 a.m. and sent to the medical examiner’s office in Baltimore, said Jennifer Bailey, a sheriff’s department spokeswoman.

The sheriff’s office identified the victims as Eric C. Zepp, 19, Jesse R. Haulsee, 24, and Angelia Haulsee, 29, all of Myersville.

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