1400 Hours, Friday, Oct. 6, 2006: Sussex County is in the throes of its first nor’easter this fall season, as heavy rains are drenching the region and steady north-east winds are piling up water in the Inland Bays.

The first rains began falling during the early morning hours today, and are expected to continue through at least sunrise Saturday, Oct. 7. As much as 2 to 3 inches of rain could fall across the region before tapering off to showers Saturday.

But the winds associated with this developing storm are what forecasters expect to cause the most significant problems this Columbus Day weekend, as minor to moderate tidal flooding is possible in low-lying areas. Steady winds of 15 mph to 25 mph are forecast, with gusts to as much as 40 mph – all coming out of the north-east.

Officials from the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center want to remind residents, especially in areas such as Long Neck, to be on guard for any tidal flooding as the storm slowly churns up along the East Coast.

“The wind is going to be prolonged through several tide cycles, which will no doubt cause flooding in our back bays,” said Joseph Thomas, director of the County’s EOC. “Our main concern is with the high tide between 8 and 9 o’clock Saturday morning. This storm will have had 24 hours to push the water into those bays. That water will have to go somewhere, and we look for that to cause flooding in our low-lying areas.”

Sussex County officials have discussed the storm and its potential effects with National Weather Service forecasters, Delaware Emergency Management Agency officials and local fire company and municipal officials. Meanwhile, the Delaware National Guard and the American Red Cross of the Delmarva Peninsula have been put on notice that their resources – those include manpower, equipment and sheltering – might be necessary if significant flooding threatens.

If floodwaters begin to rise, residents should seek higher ground. Only if the floodwaters become a threat to safety and life should citizens call 911.

Residents and property owners should secure their homes with sandbags if they are located within low-lying or flood-prone areas. Residents by now also should have removed loose objects, such as lawn chairs and trash cans, to prevent storm winds from turning those items into potential projectiles.

The county Emergency Operations Center encourages residents and visitors to tune in to local media, as well as the Internet, for the latest weather forecasts and information related to the storm. The National Weather Service homepage is https://www.weather.gov/phi/.

County residents and visitors are urged to call 911 only in emergencies. Those with storm-related calls – to report downed trees, flooding or power outages – can call the EOC’s non-emergency telephone line at (302) 856-7366.

The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center continues to monitor the storm’s progress, and will throughout the course of the day and night stay in regular contact with the National Weather Service, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency and local officials. Extra staff and dispatchers for the county 911 center are on standby, and will be brought in if conditions warrant.