Annapolis residents prepare for impacts of Tropical Storm Ophelia

ANNAPOLIS – Residents and business owners in Annapolis are preparing for the weekend's tropical storm by filling sandbags and shoring up their boats.

"There are some gentlemen from the City of Annapolis who are very nicely filling sandbags for all the residents and the businesses here," Pauly Randall said. "I know, in the past, Annapolis has flooded a lot. We're not right in the center, but we still have concerns."

The City of Annapolis distributed sandbags to residents and business owners on Dock Street Friday afternoon.

"With this flooding, it's something we've seen time and time again. They know the routine by now," Nicole Torres of the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management said. "We're watching the track, whether it goes east or west. It's going to affect the amount of water that's going to be rising and affecting this area. It's also the winds we're going to be watching."

Water taxi service will end at 6 p.m. pm Friday. Mooring balls and slips are available through the Annapolis Harbormaster, according to a city news release.

"We've had plenty of rain before. The problem is the wind brings the water up the bay," Nancy Shoemaker of Eastport said. "If we have a lot of wind and a lot of surge, it can look like the ocean out there."

Flooding has been a constant at City Dock in recent years, which is why Annapolis is redeveloping Dock Street, adding green space and flooding mitigation to the area.

The return of the Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival on Saturday was canceled. City officials say festival organizers are trying to find an alternate date.