CRISFIELD, Md. - Flooding was the focus for many at the 46th annual Tawes Crab and Clam Bake on Wednesday.
The event at Somers Cove Marina felt the lingering effects of Tropical Storm Ophelia.
This year's "Miss Crustacean" Marissa Burke did not mind wading through the flood waters to deliver crabs and clams to guests.
"I honestly don't mind. My dad's a waterman so I grew up doing stuff with the water. I'm just here to help my town as much as I can," she said.
County public works crews brought in a truck to help vacuum up the water.
But it did not stop dozens of tents, along with crabs, clams and thousands of people from packing in.
Event Co-Chair Scott Tawes says it's been a bit of a challenging working around mother nature's schedule.
"We checked all the water lines to make sure they're secure and they're actually walking around the water so its working out," he said.
Even in a non-election year, politics was king. Politicians from both sides of the aisle say this day is about setting aside parties and having a party.
"It's been a great opportunity to network with people from all of the state, people that you don't get to see or talk to on a regular basis," said Dorchester County Council President Lenny Pfeffer.
"We've got folks all the way from Western Maryland to down here on the Lower Shore. I'm glad that the rest of the state gets to see what we do on the Eastern Shore," said Wicomico County Councilman Josh Hastings.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore attended his first event as Governor. He said the flooding highlighted the need to invest in infrastructure.
"It's not just that the storms are happening at a greater level of frequency its at a greater intensity. So we have to be able to deal with the aftermath but also the reason we're making investments in infrastructure right now and all over the state, everywhere from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore is ensuring that when these storms are happening that we have a resilient infrastructure," said Governor Moore.
Until a few years ago, this event was held in the middle of the summer. Some folks we spoke with say they would rather deal with a little bit of flood water than 90 degree heat any day.