0800 Hours, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010: Sussex County residents are awaking this Saturday morning to significant snow accumulation and widespread power outages, with as many as 39,000 homes and businesses left in the dark as a result of the major coastal winter storm that continues to lash the mid-Atlantic region.

Since the storm began Friday afternoon, a range of 6 to 12 inches of snow has fallen across the county, according to weather station observations. More snow is expected throughout the day, and total snow accumulations could range from one to two feet by the time the storm ends later tonight.

The National Weather Service’s blizzard warning remains in effect for all of Sussex County until 7 p.m. today. Snow and gusty winds could cause visibilities to drop below one-quarter mile at times, resulting in whiteout conditions. Tidal flooding also is possible with this dangerous coastal storm.

As is expected with a storm of this magnitude, numerous, widespread power outages have occurred. The Delaware Electric Cooperative reports nearly 22,000 outages in the county, while Delmarva Power reports approximately 17,000 customers without power. Crews are trying, where and when possible, to assess outages and restore service to customers.

All of Delaware remains under a state of emergency until further notice. The emergency declaration prohibits non-essential travel during that time.

The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center 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 the storm event.

The Sussex County EOC reminds the public to only call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

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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.