Storm Brothers Post Appears to Prompt City Dock Flooding Update from Annapolis
The City of Annapolis released a detailed update on the City Dock flood mitigation project one day after Storm Brothers Ice Cream Factory publicly criticized the city over flooding outside its Dock Street business.
The city did not directly identify the Storm Brothers Facebook post as the reason for its response. However, the timing and the update’s focus on drainage, sediment controls, construction impacts and downtown merchants suggest it was issued, at least in part, to address concerns raised by the longtime City Dock business.
Storm Brothers said its entrance flooded during Tuesday’s heavy rain and blamed sediment controls placed over a storm drain near the City Dock construction site. The city disputed that explanation, saying the flooding was caused by intense rainfall overwhelming the capacity of the existing pumps.
Storm Brothers Blames Blocked Drain
In its Facebook post, Storm Brothers asked residents to consider the effects of construction on businesses surrounding City Dock.
“Put yourself in our place. The mayor and City council won’t. This flooding is happening right now,” the business wrote.
Storm Brothers claimed Whiting-Turner, the contractor overseeing the City Dock project, had blocked a storm drain outside the construction site and caused water to collect near the store.
The business also cited correspondence from Sarah Megee, district manager of the Compliance Program within the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Water and Science Administration.
According to the post, Megee wrote, “MDE never requested the inlet protection outside the Limits of Disturbance (LOD). In this case, the delegated authority for this decision is the City of Annapolis.”
Storm Brothers said it had raised the issue with the Annapolis City Council and Ward One Alderman Harry Huntley. The post also alleged that Mayor Jared Littmann responded “that’s too bad” when the matter was discussed with him.
Business Says Construction Is Taking a Toll
The post claimed three businesses near City Dock have already closed and three more are considering doing the same. It did not identify the businesses.
The city acknowledged that construction has created frustration for downtown merchants but said the business community was consulted throughout more than six years of planning.
“The Mayor, City Council, City staff, and the teams at Whiting Turner care about the impacts on downtown merchants,” the city said. “That is why we are pushing the project forward with such intensity.”
The city pointed to the 165 additional parking spaces included in the rebuilt Hillman Garage and said Whiting-Turner has added crews to move the project forward.
City Blames Flash-Flood Conditions
The city said Tuesday’s flooding was not caused by tidal water rising through the storm drains, which has historically been the most common source of flooding at City Dock.
Instead, officials said unusually heavy rain fell too quickly for the current drainage system to manage.
“Too much rain fell too quickly for the current infrastructure to handle,” the city said.
According to the update, more than 40,000 gallons of rainwater fell across the City Dock area during the storm. Existing pumps can move approximately 100 gallons per minute, while the pumps planned as part of the completed project will each be capable of moving as much as 10,000 gallons per minute.
The city said the completed system will include floodgates, flood walls and pumps designed to address both tidal flooding and heavy rainfall.
“In a future City Dock, we’d see only minor surface water during a storm like yesterday’s,” the city said.
City Defends Sediment Controls
The city also responded directly to concerns about filters placed over drains near the construction zone.
Officials said the Maryland Department of the Environment ordered Annapolis in June 2025 to install sediment controls or face daily citations and significant fines. Whiting-Turner installed the controls to comply with that directive, according to the city.
The filters are intended to prevent construction sediment from entering Ego Alley.
“The slow drainage isn’t an issue of filters; it is an issue of pump capacity,” the city said.
The update said even a half-inch of rain across the approximately three-acre City Dock site takes time to drain with the existing equipment. The new pumps are expected to have roughly 100 times the capacity of the current system.
Public Works employees are inspecting the site during significant rain events, according to the city. Officials said generators powering the pumps were checked Tuesday night and were operating properly.
Completion in March 2028
The city said the project remains on schedule and said City Dock is expected to reopen in approximately one year.
“As we count down the months to completion, we appreciate your patience and partnership as we build a more resilient downtown for everyone,” the city said. “Thank you for supporting our local businesses through the work of building a better Annapolis. We look forward to celebrating a flood-free City Dock with you next year!”
However, the construction schedule published on Access Annapolis paints a different story, with Phase 2 to be completed in March 2028. Phase 2 is supposed to completely close Dock Street from Randall St. to Craig St. from May of 2027 through March of 2028.