ANNAPOLIS, MD — Most flooded Annapolis businesses have reopened since a near-record storm surge swamped storefronts in January.
Twelve establishments have reopened.
These five were still waiting for repairs by Thursday: Bitty & Beau’s Coffee, Eagle Souvenir, the Eastport Yacht Center, the Eastport Yacht Center offices and Moe’s Southwest Grill.
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“We were lucky in that, especially in the historic district, no buildings were permanently damaged,” City spokesperson Mitchelle Stephenson told Patch in a Friday email. “In comparison to other natural disasters, the recovery for this has been relatively fast with every structure surviving.”
Storm Brothers Ice Cream Factory
Storm Brothers Ice Cream Factory is the latest business to return to downtown Annapolis. The ice cream parlor on Dock Street reopened on March 1 after a seven-week closure.
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About 32 inches of floodwater rushed into Storm Brothers on Jan. 9 and 10. The shop was among several damaged in the 5.1-foot storm surge, the city’s third-worst on record.
Annapolitans were eager for Storm Brothers’ return. On opening day, passersby repeatedly knocked on the window and asked what time they could grab a scoop. A frequent customer, tourists and a school field trip all rolled in when the door swung open around 3 p.m.
Storm Brothers is now back to making 45,000 waffle cones annually and serving up 50 flavors to smiling children. The shop even hired four new employees and only lost one during the break.
“I’ve had phone calls, emails, text messages from all over,” Owner Sveinn Storm said. “We’ve had just tremendous support.”
Storm estimated that he suffered $60,000 to $80,000 in damage. Storm could’ve applied for up to $50,000 in disaster relief grants from the county, but he chose not to. He was skeptical of how much financial information was required.
The shop’s flood insurance payout was about $20,000 short of what Storm needed, he said. Storm could’ve appealed for more money, but that would’ve lengthened an already-extended closure.
“I don’t rely on January and February for the bulk of my income, but it’s rough on my employees,” Storm said. “Even though they’re young people, they’ve got bills to pay.”
Pip’s Dock Street Dogs
Four doors down, Pip’s Dock Street Dogs reopened on Feb. 16 after a five-week hiatus.
The line flowed out the door on the hot dog shop’s opening day. Regulars and newcomers alike stopped by to congratulate Pip’s on its return.
Mayor Gavin Buckley also swung by the shop, which overcame 2.5 feet of flooding.
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Pip’s Owner Ryan Lamy said he was “slammed” with excited customers the entire opening weekend.
“We had a steady line from the moment we opened the door,” Lamy said, thanking everybody who turned out. “All three of those days, we didn’t get a break until about an hour to close.”
Pip’s reported $10,000 to $12,000 in damage. The storm surge wiped out the fryer, sandwich stations and ice machine.
Lamy applied for the emergency relief funding from the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation.
This money comes from a slot machine tax at Maryland casinos. The tax dollars replenish the Video Lottery Terminal, or VOLT, fund. This account is used to support business development efforts.
Pip’s VOLT grant will cover damaged equipment and lost income. Lamy just needs to share receipts and projected sales data.
“It was a pretty easy process,” Lamy said. “It is refreshing.”
Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park
Over in Eastport, the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park reopened on Feb. 3 after a three-week recovery period.
“We have a few punch list items, but for the most part, you would never know that we took in 18″ of Bay water in January,” museum President and CEO Alice Estrada told Patch in an email. “The community has been extremely sympathetic and supportive.”
Estrada previously estimated that the museum, which lies a few feet from Back Creek, sustained $45,000 in damage. The exhibits escaped unscathed.
The museum also applied for a VOLT disaster relief grant to offset the costs.
“We are very grateful to Stephen Primosch, of Anne Arundel Economic Development, for his prompt and expeditious administration of the Volt grant funding in the amount of $50,000 which helped us cover some of the losses,” Estrada wrote.
The museum saw a spike in visitors when it first reopened. The facility’s weekly lecture series continued to draw crowds while the exhibit hall was shut down.
“We managed to conduct our lectures throughout the repairs, and attendance this year has been better than ever,” Estrada wrote Thursday. “Ironically, tonight’s lecture is on sea-level rise and it is sold out.”
The museum is considering future flood protections, as the building extends completely to the water’s edge.
Staffers and board members launched a sea-level rise committee to brainstorm short- and long-term solutions for the waterfront property.
Other Reopened Businesses
These nine flooded businesses have also reopened since inspectors temporarily closed them.
The downtown Mission BBQ closed permanently days after reopening. That closure was not related to the flood. The Annapolis Town Center location is still open.
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