Severe flooding devastated some Western Maryland communities in Allegany and Garrett counties, where children had to be rescued from their schools this week.

Rescue boats were used to evacuate an elementary school in Allegany County, Maryland Tuesday as heavy rains brought flooding to the region, the county’s emergency services department said.

The mayor of Westernport, Maryland, said she was heartbroken by the flash floods that inundated her small, rural town. Dozens of children had to be evacuated by rescue boats and dinghies as floodwaters pushed into multiple schools.