1800 Hours, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010: Snow-socked Sussex County is in line for more winter weather, as another major coastal storm heads for the mid-Atlantic region, threatening to coat the county with rain, sleet and snow on top of the two feet of snow that fell this past weekend.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning from 7 a.m. to

7 p.m. Wednesday, as forecasters predict 3 to 7 inches of snow will fall over the county in the next 24 hours. Much of that precipitation, though, is expected begin as sleet and even rain tonight into early Wednesday morning. Forecasters, though, expect a change to all snow after sunrise when colder air wraps around the storm.

Further complicating clean-up efforts from the weekend blizzard, strong winds with gusts up to 50 mph and minor tidal flooding also are possible with this newest storm.

“As if this past weekend’s one to two feet of snow wasn’t enough, more is coming our way to add to the misery,” Sussex County Emergency Operations Center Director Joseph L. Thomas. “All we and the public can do is batten down the hatches, bear through it and hope that this latest storm spares us the damage and difficulties caused by the last one.”

DelDOT road crews and utility companies continue to clear roads and restore power throughout the county, four days after the most significant storm in recent memory piled snow waist high. As of Tuesday afternoon, nearly 1,000 customers remained without electricity. The number of customers in the county without power at one point this past weekend had approached 50,000.

Meantime, the Delaware National Guard continues to assist those residents who have lost power or who have critical needs, such as kidney dialysis, Mr. Thomas said. Because of the remaining power outages and the deep cold affecting the county, as well as the threat of more winter weather, shelters remain open at two locations in the county. Those shelters are:

• 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 EOC storm hotline at (302) 856-7366 for instructions. All shelter facilities have back-up generators in place, and staff is available to assist the public. However, those relocating to shelters should bring necessary supplies with them, including clothing, sleeping bags and pillows, medications, drinks, and non-perishable foods.

As the new storm moves in, emergency officials are asking the public – especially those living in municipalities and subdivisions – to shovel out hydrants for local firefighters. Heavy snowfall accumulations along with mountains of snow and ice plowed off streets have blocked many hydrants, which are critical for firefighters in an emergency, Mr. Thomas said.

Sussex County officials continue to ask residents and property owners with damage caused by this past weekend’s snowstorm to report that information immediately so emergency planners can assess the extent of destruction. Anyone who has damage should call the EOC’s storm information hotline at (302) 856-7366. The public also can send photographs of storm damage to emergency officials. Visit sussexcountyde.gov to upload storm images.

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.

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

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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.