Debby has Annapolis City Dock residents, businesses bracing for flooding

BALTIMORE -- Annapolis residents and businesses are bracing for remnants of Debby, which has been downgraded to a tropical depression, along flood-prone City Dock.

City officials on Thursday handed out sandbags to help residents and business owners mitigate flood damage from heavy rain and wind gusts. 

The Annapolis Office of Emergency Management expects flooding to increase around 9 a.m. Friday and we could see the highest flood waters by 9 p.m. Friday.

"We're expecting mild to moderate flooding, the first of it being at approximately 9 p.m. tonight with anything from 2.4 to 2.8 above normal," said Annapolis Office of Emergency Management spokesperson Nicole Torres.

Young Chung, who runs Eagle Souvenir on City Dock says the last big flood in January caught her off guard and brought more than 2 feet of flood waters into her store.

"I'm getting nervous, too much stress," Chung said. "I heard the news yesterday so I prepared yesterday and today. Very stressful."

Chung said she's not taking any chances this time. With sandbags on hand, she told WJZ she is closing early and putting the merchandise up high.

"I think it is coming," Chung said.

Wind, rain and strong currents Thursday morning had boaters like Joanne Keazer tighten their ropes.

"I might need to put additional lines just to keep it off the dock, and make sure the boat doesn't bang into the dock all night with the storms," Keazer said.

Keazer, a captain for more than 20 years, knows the remnants of a tropical storm can be unpredictable.

"Wind can kick up really quickly, the bay can get really choppy, fog rolls in," Keazer said. "There's a lot of things that you need to be prepared for."