DARGAN BEND, Md. - Gary and Bonnie Eichelberger said the water rushing against their house and the hail hitting the roof were so loud, they weren't sure the 9-1-1 dispatcher could hear their pleas for help over the phone.
"I didn't know if we were going to get help or not, until they arrived," Mr. Eichelberger said.
The house was completely surrounded by flash flood water rushing down Mt. Lock Canal Road in Dargan Bend. The steep mountain road was transformed into a raging river about three-feet deep.
The couple in their 70s was rescued by volunteers from the nearby Potomac Valley Volunteer Fire Company. They backed a heavy truck up to the couple's front door in axle-deep water.
"We were so glad to get out of there because we didn't know if it would come up any higher and take the house away," Bonnie Eichelberger said.
PHOTOS: Up to 6 inches of rain floods parts of Frederick Co.
The couple have lived in their Washington County, Md. home for 51 years and say they have never seen a flash flood like the one from Tuesday night.
"It was definitely a life-threatening situation," said neighbor Jeff Muller, who lost two tractors in the flood.
Muller's son Clayton, who was camping on the family's property, escaped in bare feet. His tent and all his possessions are gone.
"He's lucky to be alive," Muller said.
Another neighbor, Tyler Passmore, frantically moved vehicles and then set to building a makeshift flood barrier out of concrete blocks and two door panels to keep water from reaching the foundation of his home.
"From the time the phone alert went off to the time a wall of water got here was 15 minutes," Passmore's father Matthew said.
Damage to roads in the Dargan Bend area was widespread.
First responders reported making at least 60 rescues in Frederick County and Washington County.
