City Dock Under Water, More Flooding Expected At High Tide

ANNAPOLIS, MD — According to Annapolis city officials, the worst flooding is done for Thursday at City Dock, which peaked at 3'7" at 11:35 a.m. However, officials warn that Thursday night's high tide will bring more flooding in the city.

"Please heed road closures. Don't drive around police barriers. Remember, if an aircraft carrier can float, so can your vehicle Turn around. Don't drown," the city shared on social media.

A flood watch took effect Thursday at 10 a.m. and lasts until 10 p.m. for parts of Maryland with up to three inches of rain expected. Heavy rain is expected Thursday afternoon through Thursday evening. Rain totals are expected to be 1.5 to 2.5 inches, with up to 3 inches in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.

The Annapolis Office of Emergency Management noted that water levels could remain at or above moderate flood stage for several hours on Thursday before slowly subsiding on Friday.

Minor coastal flooding occurred Wednesday in Annapolis during high tide at 10:40 a.m. and again at high tide at 10:50 p.m. Wednesday evening. This means water levels will likely be above 2.6 feet above MLLW (even during low tide) throughout the day on Thursday. However, the biggest concern is during high tides with water levels expected to surge well into the moderate flood stage (> 3.3 ft above MLLW).

Other safety tips city officials shared include:

• Do not drive through flooded roadways. Most cars will begin to stall and lose control in six inches of water. In 12 inches of water, many vehicles will float.
• Two feet of rushing water can sweep away most vehicles.
• Do not walk through moving water.