Sussex County eyes potentially dangerous nor’easter

1630 Hours, Monday, March 4, 2013 A potentially potent late-winter coastal storm could rough up Sussex County in the days ahead with moderate tidal flooding, tropical storm-force winds and a mixture of rain and snow, causing travel problems and leaving power outages in its wake from Delaware across a large portion of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood watch for Sussex County from Wednesday afternoon, March 6, through Thursday, March 7, in anticipation of a still-developing system that is expected to blossom into a nor’easter and bring with it tides at least 4 feet above normal, 60 mph winds, and heavy rain. Meantime, as much as a foot of snow could fall just to the west of Sussex County in central Maryland.

“The forecast is trending toward this being a very strong storm with plenty of negative effects, from coastal flooding and beach erosion to heavy rain and damaging winds,” said Sussex County Emergency Operations Center Director Joseph Thomas. “We have been fortunate this winter to have escaped the major storms that have affected places like New York and Boston. But there is still a bit of winter left, and these late-season storms can pack some of the toughest punches.”

Emergency officials urge the public to be prepared and to monitor local forecasts for any changes or updates. Residents in low-lying areas should act now by moving vehicles, clearing storm drains and checking submersible pumps.

For updates, stay tuned to local media outlets, the Sussex County EOC Web site, sussexcountyde.gov/emergency-preparedness, and be sure to follow the County’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, www.facebook.com/SussexCountyDE, twitter.com/sussexde_govt and twitter.com/SussexCtyDE_EOC.

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Media calls should be directed to EOC spokeswoman Debra Jones at (302) 855-7801 or Sussex County Communications Director Chip Guy at (302) 854-5000.