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CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Baltimore's second "Harbor Splash" event expected to see more than 200 participants
More than 200 participants are expected to jump into Baltimore City's Inner Harbor on Saturday, July 19, for the second "Harbor Splash" event, according to an announcement from the Waterfront Partnership. The event will kick off at the Bond Street Wharf in Fells Point, and accommodate swimmers ages 18 and up. The event is now sold out. The event celebrates the progress that the city has made in improving the harbor's water quality. At the forefront of cleanup efforts has been the Healthy Harbor Initiative, which was established by the Waterfront Partnership in 2010 with the goal of creating a swimmable and fishable waterfront. Is Baltimore's Inner Harbor swimmable? According to the Waterfront Partnership, the harbor is generally swimmable if it has not rained within the prior 48 hours. Still, there is a risk of stomach or respiratory illness for those with compromised immune systems or those with open wounds. Swimmers should be mindful to only swim around areas that are deep enough to prevent contact with sediment, as the bottom of the harbor contains pollutants that should not be stirred up. Improved Inner Harbor water quality and ecosystem The Waterfront Partnership said it has worked extensively to improve the Inner Harbor's water quality and ecosystem since 2013. "When we launched the Healthy Harbor Initiative in 2010, floating trash was considered an intractable way of life. Trash booms at outfalls were easily overwhelmed and skimmer boats required extensive fuel and manpower to operate," the partnership wrote in the 2024 Healthy Harbor Report Card. The Waterfront Partnership said that it's worked to improve the habitat for animals and small organisms. According to the report, more than 350,000 oysters are now grown in the harbor annually. Oysters are a critical component of Maryland's economy and help filter water. First "Harbor Splash" saw success The first Harbor Splash event that took place in June 2024 had a turnout of nearly 150 swimmers, including Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. It marked the first public swimming event in the Inner Harbor in more than 40 years. "We know our work is far from over, but we must start swimming. It's a commitment to keep working to ensure that our ecosystem thrives and that swimming in the harbor becomes a routine occurrence," Michael Hankin, president and CEO of Brown Advisory and chairman of Waterfront Partnership's Healthy Harbor Initiative, said. Baltimore ultra-marathon swimmer completes six-hour swim in Inner Harbor In April, Baltimore open-water ultra-marathon swimmer Katie Pumphrey completed a six-hour swim in the Inner Harbor. Pumphrey used the swim to encourage others to swim in the open water and as a qualifying practice for her third English Channel crossing. "More and more is happening, I'm really excited for this to be a more regular thing," Pumphrey said. "Open water swimming should be done with a lot of safety in place and with all things in mind. Our Inner Harbor is a beautiful place for open water swimming." In 2024, Pumphrey also completed a more than 12-hour swim from the Chesapeake Bay to the Inner Harbor.
CBS News
03-07-2025
- CBS News
Man fatally shot in Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood
A man was killed in a shooting early Tuesday in Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood, according to city police. Officers responded to the 1500 block of Thames Street around 2:48 a.m. after hearing gunfire, police said. The responding officers found a 21-year-old man on the scene who was suffering from gunshot wounds. The man was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to police. While on the scene Thursday morning, WJZ watched police inspect a car that had bullet holes in the windshield. The investigation into this shooting is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to call Baltimore Police at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup. Crime rate continues to drop in Baltimore The deadly shooting comes as Baltimore continues to see a drop in homicide and violent crime rates. There were 37 reported victims of gun violence in Fells Point in the past 12 months, compared to 58 reported in 2022, according to WJZ's Gun Violence Tracker. Data from the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office shows a nearly 62% drop in homicides between 2022 and 2025. "While some have criticized our office for moving beyond the policies of the previous administration, the progress we've made in reducing homicides in Baltimore tells a different story," State's Attorney Ivan Bates said when sharing the data. On July 1, Baltimore Police shared a mid-year report showing a 22% drop in homicides, with 88 reported in 2024, compared to 68 in 2025. Police data also shows a 19% drop in non-fatal shootings in the past year, with 204 in 2024 compared to 164 in 2025. According to the department's report, 120 suspects were arrested for homicides and non-fatal shootings in the first half of 2025. "Our work is far from over," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement. "68 lives lost to violence is 68 too many. While we acknowledge the historic lows we are experiencing, we must simultaneously acknowledge that there is much more work to do, and our success makes me commit even further to doing it."
CBS News
02-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Baltimore's Fells Point streets flood as several cars stall in the water
Several cars were stalled as floodwaters rose Tuesday evening at a Fells Point intersection in Baltimore. Emergency crews responded to the intersection of Caroline and Aliceanna streets, where it looked like a river was flowing through the neighborhood following torrential rain and strong wind gusts. At some point, there was also a car fire in the middle of the flooding, which prompted firefighters to wade through water that was up to some of their knees. The driver told WJZ he was driving through the area, and the water was rising, and his car stalled. He said he tried to start the car again, and it caught fire. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Baltimore City and surrounding counties through Tuesday evening. Flooding caused commute troubles A man who works in Fells Point said the flooding created a headache as he was trying to go home. "I definitely can't walk through there, so I am going to have to go around," he said. "It will probably take an extra 10 minutes to walk around it, and longer for my commute, as well." People in the area said it took about 15 minutes for the water to rise and about 15 minutes for the water to recede. Fells Point is a flood-prone area Flooding is a constant concern for residents and business owners in Fells Point and Harbor East, sitting right on the doorsteps of Baltimore's harbor. In August 2024, downpours and strong winds from Tropical Storm Debby created significant flooding in Fells Point. The city handed out sandbags for preparation in those flood-prone areas. The flooding caused roads to close at S. Wolfe Street and Thames Street in Fells Point. In January 2024, floodwaters covered the cobblestones along a stretch of Thames Street, while Baltimore City tow trucks were on standby to rescue vehicles from the rising water.
CBS News
22-06-2025
- CBS News
3 dead, 10 shot during violent weekend in Baltimore
Three people died, and 10 people were shot during a violent weekend in Baltimore. On Sunday, police said two men died after a shooting in Southwest Baltimore. Officers responded around 1:30 p.m. to the 2200 block of Christian Street, where they found a 31-year-old man unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. While investigating, an unresponsive 24-year-old man who had also been shot was located in the 2100 block of Wilkens Avenue. The men were taken to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead, according to police. Stabbing death investigated Early Saturday, police said a man died after being stabbed in the 100 block of South Broadway in the Fells Point area. Officers said the man was taken to the hospital, where he later died. Five gun violence victims were 21 or younger Baltimore police were busy this weekend, responding to several shootings, including five younger than 21 years old. Shortly after midnight on Sunday, a 17-year-old girl and an 18-year-old girl went to the hospital with gunshot wounds after a shooting in the 2600 block of Erdman Avenue in East Baltimore. Police said evidence of the shooting was found in the area. They are expected to survive. Around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, police responded to the 200 block of East Lombard Street in downtown Baltimore, where an 18-year-old man was found injured from a shooting. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Around 3 a.m. on Sunday, a 21-year-old man was found injured from a shooting in the 2600 block of Dulany Street in Southwest Baltimore, according to police. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Officers said a 19-year-old man was found at a hospital injured from a shooting on Saturday. He is expected to survive. Police said the shooting happened as he was walking in the 3800 block of Belle Avenue. More weekend shootings Baltimore police responded to a reported shooting around 3:45 p.m. on Saturday in the 200 block of Marion Street, where a 29-year-old was found suffering from a gunshot wound. Police said he is expected to survive. Around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, a 25-year-old man went to the hospital after he had been shot in the 600 block of South Broadway in Fells Point, police said. The man is expected to recover. On Friday, shortly before 6 p.m., a 51-year-old man was shot in his upper body, according to police. Officers said the shooting happened in the 1400 block of Mosher Street in West Baltimore. He was listed at the hospital in stable condition, according to police. Gun violence in Baltimore According to the CBS News Gun Tracker data, within the past 12 months, there have been 26 deaths involving people younger than 21 in Baltimore. There have also been 98 people younger than 21 years old who were wounded by gunfire in Baltimore within the past 12 months. Earlier this month, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott touted a 23.6% decline in homicides in 2025, and a 23.4% decline in non-fatal shootings.
CBS News
07-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Johns Hopkins promises to pay to clean massive diesel fuel spill in Baltimore harbor
Many of the large pools of diesel fuel, noticeable by its distinct red color from dye, have been removed from Baltimore's harbor two days after a 2,000-gallon spill. It is a testament to the quick response after Johns Hopkins Hospital's emergency generators were overfilled, leaking into storm drains and funneling into the Harbor Wednesday. "I was really worried when I woke up this morning about what I was going to find when kayaking around the harbor. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed that areas where there were impacts yesterday have since been cleaned up," said the Waterfront Partnership's Adam Lindquist. He not only extensively observed conditions from the water on Friday but also was instrumental in the creation of the turtle habitat in the canal along Lancaster Street, where much of the fuel was collected. It is one of the only stretches of natural shoreline left here. "Wildlife have really made that a sanctuary to the point where we know there are hundreds of turtles living in that canal, as well as the ducks and the geese and the fish. We are at this moment less concerned about how that spill is going to affect the larger harbor and really starting to focus our attention on how we're going to restore and clean up the canal, which is the focused area of this spill," Lindquist told WJZ. Fells Point safeguards A WJZ drone captured protective barriers in Fells Point, placed there in case fuel runoff flows that way. "With the rain coming through this weekend, I think that's a big question mark. How much fuel is still left in the stormwater pipes? Is it going to keep coming out of that one outfall, or could it spread to other outfalls? Right now, there has not been any spread to other outfalls, but we just don't know what's going to happen when it's raining, so we'll all be keeping an eye on that," Lindquist explained. Fire Chief James Wallace promised, "Should the situation change, we're able to react to it very quickly." Oil spill investigation Officials say the investigation into the spill from Hopkins' generators will start once the cleanup has ended. Johns Hopkins tells WJZ they are "working closely with federal, state, and local authorities, and we are focused first and foremost on the health and safety of the community and on environmental cleanup." They also promised to pay for damages. "This is our home, and we are fully committed to funding the cleanup and remediation efforts in the Inner Harbor, including any impacts to local wildlife. While we are concentrating on the cleanup effort, we are also closely reviewing the situation to understand what happened," the statement said.
