ST. MICHAELS, Md. - For the second time in the past four weeks. flooding has decimated a number of towns in northern Pennsylvania.
In July, flood waters flowed down the Susquehanna River into the Chesapeake Bay and with those millions of gallons of water came tons of debris.
On Monday, dirty flood waters stopped cars and people from moving after swollen creeks engulfed neighborhoods and streets in Northern Pennsylvania. The flooding has many people, who monitor the bay's health, worried more pollution is on its way.
Watermen worry the pollution that's already in the bay will force marine life to move farther south.
But plenty things were moving in Talbot County on Tuesday as watermen hauled in bushels of crab at Bay Hundred Seafood - things that could change, according to owner Joe Spurry.
"There's nothing we can do. We just have to hope for the best. Mother Nature is definitely in charge," Spurry said.
Spurry says the added pollution could kill marine life, weakening future crab and oyster seasons.
"This event could show its face a couple years from now and if we have poor recruitment this year, we won't really see the effect until possibly the next year or the year after," Spurry said.
As of this afternoon, the Conowingo Dam's owner, Exelon, said it would open up to five gates to relieve the dam of water.
Despite the bad news, Alan Girard of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says state and federal restoration efforts could ultimately save the bay.
"The Chesapeake Bay is a very resilient system," Girard said. "There's hope that we continue to manage freshwater on land to allow the system to respond and rebound and come back."
But still, Spurry says he worries he and many others won't be able to manage much more.
"If we take another hit it's going to be dangerous levels," Spurry said.
WBOC reached out to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's Office.
According to one spokesperson, they're monitoring the Conowingo Dam for extra flood waters and are in touch with officials in Pennsylvania to offer any support in emergency situations.
WBOC also reached out to Exelon but did not heard back.
