Local impact of Hurricane Debby

Hurricane Debby has affected hundreds of thousands of residents on the East Coast from Florida and the Carolinas up to New York and Vermont.

Many communities were devastated with flooding, tornadoes and power outages, including several neighborhoods in eastern Baltimore County.

According to local officials, Hurricane Debby was the worst that the area has seen since Hurricane Isabel, a 2003 storm that struck much of the East Coast and left its mark as one of the most intense hurricanes in recent history.

Hurricane Debby arrived and swept through Maryland between Aug. 8 and Aug. 9, bringing high tides and flooding for the most part.

Waterfront communities of Essex and Middle River, including Oliver Beach, Bowleys Quarters and Wilson Point, were significantly impacted by destructive tidal flooding. According to local elected officials, piers, seawalls, bulkheads, homes and businesses were impacted.

As the storm approached the area, local agencies issued safety advisories as flash flood warnings hit the airwaves.

Local volunteer fire companies, community leaders, the county’s department of public works and transportation and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources collectively cleaned up storm debris, retrieved boats and restored many of the affected areas.

“Then as now, the Eastside showed grit, resolve and an uncommon degree of neighborliness in responding to the aftereffects of Hurricane Debby,” Fifth District Councilman David Marks said in his most recent column for The Avenue.

Marks said he joined Del. Ryan Nawrocki (District 7A) over the weekend along with Capt. Shannon Stallings of Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire Rescue & Marine and Josh Sines, president of the Essex-Middle River Civic Council, to tour the area.

“We saw neighbors helping one another, and a community where much of the debris had been removed only hours after floodwaters receded,” Marks said.

“I would like to sincerely thank our first responders for their extraordinary work before, during and after the storm. We are continually reminded of their heroism, as well as the need to provide modernized police and fire stations for the community.”

On Friday, members of Bowleys Quarters Volunteer Fire Rescue & Marine also joined County Executive Johnny Olszewski for a tour of flooding in eastern Baltimore County.

Community members were also given dumpsters to assist with cleanup efforts as DNR focused much of their restoration efforts at Gunpowder Falls State Park.

“Thanks to our collective work with Councilman Marks, we had dumpsters for storm cleanup arrive in Bowleys Quarters and Oliver Beach,” Nawrocki said.

“We also quickly spoke with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources regarding their cleanup operations at Dundee Creek Marina, part of the Gunpowder Falls State Park.”

Middle River-based Shaffer Landscaping also offered their services according to Marks.