Past Storms
This page will address and describe past hurricanes that had a significant impact in Annapolis.
During the week of October 22, 2012, Hurricane Sandy, the eighteenth named storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, made its way through the Bahamas and up the East Coast. ‘Sandy’ was a post tropical cyclone when it made landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey on October 29th. The storm presented challenges for Annapolis, as the City prepared for life safety issues, flooding, physical infrastructure damage, power outages and sheltering.
At the peak of the storm, the City experienced between 2600-2800 power outages. A total of 81 critical but non-emergency calls came through the Call Center. Annapolis High School was opened as a shelter. It had a total of 61 people sheltered at the highest point; 47 adults, 16 children, 5 dogs and 4 cats.
At the height of the storm, Irene was a named a category 3 hurricane. Upon it's arrival in Annapolis, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm. Residents were encouraged to evacuate low lying areas. Trees were reported down City wide. An estimated 9,500 homes were reported to have lost power during the storm. A shelter was opened for residents during and immediately after the storm. Approximately 48 boats sought refuge in the harbor.
Hurricane Isaias was a category 1 hurricane that impacted significant portion of the eastern United States. By the time the storm reached Annapolis, it had been downgraded to a tropical storm. Road closures were implemented along Dock St and Compromise St in anticipation of flooding in the area. Strong winds and heavy rains was experienced across the area.
In late August 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall in the United States as a category 4. By the time Ida reached the City of Annapolis, it had been downgraded to a topical depression. In preparation for potential flooding, the City initiated sandbagging operations the morning of September 1. At around 1:45 pm a tornado warning was issued for the area. From 2:00-2:23pm an EF-2 tornado touched down and made its way down West St and in the Parole neighborhood. Recovery efforts began immediately. The City of Annapolis was incredibly fortunate that there was no loss of life and only minor injuries reported. Significant property damage was sustained by businesses and residents.
A resource center was established to handle the influx of donations to those displaced by the tornado. The City of Annapolis continues to work with residents to ensure all of their long term needs are met.