CRISFIELD, Md. - Despite days of flooding in coastal communities like Crisfield, organizers of the annual Tawes Crab and Clam Bake are determined to move forward with the event.
The popular event, scheduled for Wednesday, has been impacted by rising waters in the past. Last year, the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia caused significant flooding.
However, event co-chair Danny Thompson said preparations are in place to mitigate any potential flooding issues. "The event will be held during low tide, so we don't anticipate any major problems," he explained. "If there is any rising water, we have a wet vac truck on standby."
At Southern Connections Seafood on Tuesday, volunteers were busy preparing more than 20,000 clams for the event. High schooler Dawson Daniels, whose been out of school for two days due to flooding, volunteered to help with the preparation. "It's been flooded everywhere between Crisfield and where I'm from, Deal Island. It's been flooded, water everywhere. Hard to get around the roads. I don't think it's impacting too much. Everybody's getting through it," he said.
Organizers expect around 4,000 people to attend the event, which will feature a variety of seafood dishes and political mingling.
Thompson says this year will see a brighter political spotlight, due to the hotly contested open U.S. Senate seat in Maryland. "This year's a little bit different, I think it's because of the political environment across the country. So this year, it does amp up a little bit," he said.
Regardless of flooding, gates are slated to open at 11:30am on Wednesday at Somers Cove Marina.
