Tropical Storm Debby brings historic, dangerous flooding to Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS -- For the second time this year, the city of Annapolis woke up to historic and dangerous flooding.

One woman had to be rescued from her car after getting stuck in flooded waters on Compromise Street.

"It's pretty surreal," Will Sizemore, a boater said. "I've never seen it this high."

"Our flooding is from tidal surge, it's not from rain, it's from water being pushed up the bay. In high wind situations like that, it's critical that we prepare for this."

Armed with sandbags, and a lot of experience , residents and business owners in downtown Annapolis did everything they could to prepare for the flooding brought on by the tropical depression.

"It's like a plastic wood," Sveinn Storm of Storm Brothers Ice Scream said. "Then what we do is put weather stripping around so all we have to do is place it against our door frame, which we've waterproofed inside, along the edges when we installed it."

By high tide Friday morning, Dock Street was a river. But Svienn Storm's flood barrier protected his 40-year-old ice cream shop from major damage.

The last significant flood in January wiped out most of his equipment, costing him thousands.

"We lost everything. We were closed for almost two months," Storm said.

It's a costly scenario most business owners on Dock Street have dealt with before.

Some residents are hopeful the city's proposed flood protection plan, which involves building a natural park barrier, will be a long-term solution.

"This is accelerating for sure and I think something should be done. I mean I don't know what can be done but I don't want to see my town go under. And I don't want to see Pip's get flooded again, I love that place," Finn Fries, an Annapolis resident said.

Construction for the city dock project is supposed to begin later this year.