ANNAPOLIS, MD - Mayor Gavin Buckley has signed a City State of Emergency Declaration following the passage of Tropical Storm Debby, which caused historic flooding in downtown Annapolis.
Floodwaters at City Dock surged to 4.4 feet above normal levels on Friday August 9, marking it as the eighth-highest flood event on record for Annapolis. Initial damage assessments by the City’s Department of Planning and Zoning indicate that 19 businesses and non-profits sustained an estimated $162,000 in lost revenue and equipment damage due to the storm.
“Now that we have an assessment of the damage, I am declaring a State of Emergency which will allow City staff to move forward quickly with recovery efforts to help our business community and give City leadership more flexibility in making executive and spending decisions,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley.
This is the second State of Emergency Declaration made by the City of Annapolis in 2024. In January, the city experienced its third-highest flooding event, resulting in significant damage to downtown businesses. A State of Emergency was declared, allowing businesses to access Emergency VOLT funds disbursed through the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation (AAEDC). The Emergency VOLT funding program expired on June 30, 2024. The City is now collaborating with the State of Maryland to identify if there are additional sources of emergency funding to aid in business recovery.
“We are now looking into all available options to identify both City resources and any alternative funding that businesses can access to carry out repairs and for proactive flood protection. We will keep in close contact with businesses throughout this process to ensure they have the latest information on any assistance as it becomes available, ” said Mayor Buckley.
“I want to thank Senator Sarah Elfreth and Governor Moore, who have been in constant communication with us since the emergency, for their advocacy and ongoing support for our hurting businesses who must deal with an expensive clean up for the second time in little more than six months.”
According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Debby ranks as one of the ten worst flooding events in Annapolis history. This marks the second time this year that a top-ten flooding event has occurred in the city, underscoring the urgency of moving forward with the City Dock Resiliency project, which remains Annapolis’ highest priority.
For more information on Annapolis’ plan to build flood protection at City Dock, visit www.AccessAnnapolis.com.
