1300 Hours, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010: Sussex County is beginning to dig out from under this weekend’s one to two feet of snow, with state transportation workers trudging through towering drifts to clear roads and power crews feverishly working to restore service to thousands of customers who have been in the dark for more than a day.

The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center in Georgetown is continuing to work closely with local and state emergency managers as Delaware recovers from what will go down as among the most significant winter storms to ever hit the mid-Atlantic region. Delaware National Guard troops also have been deployed throughout the county to assist in the recovery effort.

“This center and our staff are working around the clock to ensure the public’s safety,” Sussex County EOC Director Joseph L. Thomas said. “We will not rest until the job has been completed and life has started its slow return to normal.”

The return to normal will understandably take time. More than 15,000 homes and businesses remain without power today. But that number is steadily decreasing – at the height of the storm, almost 50,000 customers were without electricity – as power crews from as far away as North Carolina are in the county working to repair damaged utility poles and downed lines.

Because of the remaining power outages and the deep cold affecting the county, shelters remain open at three locations to house those who have lost power or who have been otherwise affected by the storm. Those shelters are:

• Cape Henlopen High School, 1250 Kings Highway, Lewes;
• Milford Middle School, 612 Lakeview Ave., Milford;
• Sussex Central High School, 26026 Patriots Way, Georgetown.

Residents in need of shelter should contact the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center’s storm information hotline at (302) 856-7366 for instructions. All shelter facilities have back-up generators in place, and staff will be available to assist the public. However, those relocating to these shelters must bring ALL necessary supplies with them, including clothing, sleeping bags and pillows, medications, drinks, and non-perishable foods.

All of Delaware remains under a state of emergency until further notice. Nonessential travel remains strongly discouraged.

The Sussex County EOC asks that members of the public with storm-related questions or non-emergency concerns call the dedicated storm information line, at (302) 856-7366. PLEASE DO NOT call other EOC telephone numbers, as those lines are necessary for emergency planners to coordinate services during this event. The County EOC reminds the public to only call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

For the latest list of road closures, visit the Delaware Department of Transportation Web site at www.deldot.gov. To view an up-to-date map of power outages in Sussex County, visit Delmarva Power’s Web site at www.delmarva.com and the Delaware Electric Cooperative’s Web site at www.delaware.coop.

The Sussex County EOC requests that residents and property owners with photographs of snowfall and storm damage send them through the County Web site. Visit sussexcountyde.gov to upload storm images.

For updates, stay tuned to local television and radio stations, and the Sussex County EOC Web site, at sussexcountyde.gov/emergency-preparedness.

###

Media calls should be directed to EOC spokeswoman Debra Jones at (302) 855-7801 or Sussex County Chief of Public Information Chip Guy at pio@sussexcountyde.gov.