Why all the coastal flooding in Maryland lately? Tropical Storm Melissa is to blame, forecasters say

Tropical Storm Melissa, slowly rotating off the Atlantic Coast, has pushed water up the Chesapeake Bay, resulting in coastal flooding.

Shorelines and roadways were flooded in waterfront communities throughout Maryland.

In Annapolis, officials shut down the Spa Creek Bridge that links the downtown historic district with the Eastport neighborhood. They used pumps to try to push the water away from businesses along City Dock.

The flooding came at an inopportune time, as the capital city is hosting the annual United States Sailboat Show.

In Baltimore, water covered the brick promenade at the Inner Harbor.

Baltimore and most of the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay were under a coastal flood warning on Saturday, with tides expected to be 2 to 2.5 feet higher than normal.

Maryland’s Eastern Shore also saw flooding from Queen Anne’s County along the bay to Ocean City on the Atlantic Ocean.

Ray Martin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Tropical Storm Melissa is to blame.

The storm system has been slowly rotating off the coast, with winds that have sent water surging up the Chesapeake Bay.

Tropical Storm Melissa is heading east and is not expected to reach Maryland. But the area could be feeling the effects for a few days.

As the storm moves out, the high water levels should “slowly dwindle over the next couple of days,” Martin said.

Baltimore Sun Media Group reporter Brooks DuBose contributed to this article.