Debby’s flooding has Annapolis business owners pushing for action before major storms

By Kelsey Kushner

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — An Annapolis business owner, one of many still feeling the impact from the massive flooding left by Tropical Storm Debby, is calling on the city to take action before a major storm hits.

Sveinn Storm, owner of Storm Brothers Ice Cream along Annapolis’s City Dock for 48 years, says the city focuses on damage control after the storm has passed rather than getting a head start.

Annapolis Gov. Gavin Buckley on Wednesday declared a state of emergency, nearly a week after Debby’s remnants rolled through Maryland, meaning those impacted by the storm can receive emergency funding.

“What’s most important is to protect the historic district with these flood walls that we’ve known about forever and been promised,” Storm said.

Flood barrier in the works

Annapolis leaders had announced plans to build an eight-foot-high natural park barrier around City Dock later this year to protect downtown from extreme flooding.

The barrier project will cost anywhere from $50 million to $60 million. Buckley said it will include lawns, rain gardens and shade trees to help mitigate the flooding.

“Not only are we going to stop sea level rise, and the next catastrophic weather event, but we also have the opportunity to create a world-class park,” Buckley said.

Businesses recovering

Ahead of the storm, the ice cream shop owner plugged up the toilet and built a barrier to keep the water out of his business.

However, other shops around him weren’t as lucky.

Floodwaters at City Dock surged to 4.4 feet above normal levels last Friday, marking it as the eighth highest flood event on record for Annapolis.

Initial damage assessments by the Department of Planning and Zoning say that 19 businesses and organizations sustained an estimated $162,000 in lost revenue and equipment damage due to the flooding.

The new state of emergency allows city staff to move forward quickly with recovery efforts to help rebuild the community.

“We don’t have to have heavy rain in Maryland to flood downtown,” Storm said.

Second major flooding in 2024

This is the second state of emergency declaration made by the city of Annapolis in 2024.

Last January, Annapolis experienced it’s third-highest flooding event which resulted in significant damage to downtown businesses.

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