Clean up continues after snow storm pummels Delaware

DELAWARE – The snow storm has stopped and sunny skies shone over Delmarva Tuesday. But, that doesn’t mean the clean up isn’t continuing. “Kent County and Sussex County were really hit hard. So, there’s still some roadways they’re working on pretty exclusively,” said Community Relations Coordinator for the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) Jeff Sands.

DelDOT says crews worked overnight to clear as much snow as possible off of Delaware’s major roadways. “We do have to take crews off line for rest breaks. So, we didn’t have our full complement of staff working in the overnight hours. But, we still did have plows out,” said Director of Community Relations for DelDOT C.R. McLeod.

DelDOT and DEMA are asking for patience as the clean up continues. “This was the biggest storm in Sussex County in four years. Any time we see snowfall totals of ten, eleven, twelve inches, it’s going to take some time to clean that up,” said McLeod.

While many major roadways have been mostly cleared of snow and other debris, some smaller roadways are still covered in a thick sheet of slush and ice. “The problem that we had overnight was really cold temperatures, So, no melting was occurring. That obviously led to icy conditions. For folks that were getting up this morning, less snow on the roadway, but still dealing with icy conditions,” said McLeod.

Meanwhile, some spent Tuesday without power. Sands says while many Delawareans have had power restored, the sheer amount of snow still poses a risk. “There’s wires and trees down. There’s a heavy snow load on these trees which is causing them to break and fall into the roadways. Then, we’ve got some pretty significant snow that we’re working with,” he said.

For those who still don’t have power and are using alternative heating methods, Sands says there’s a few tips you should follow. That includes making sure to monitor any heat sources, keeping them away from flammable items, and placing generators at least 15 feet from your home. Sands also encourages those using generators to have a working carbon monoxide detector on hand.

As the clean up continues, McLeod says it’s not coming without challenges. Crews from northern parts of Delaware had to be sent south to help out. “In Delaware, a snow storm doesn’t ever really seem to be consistent across the state. In a lot of ways, sometimes we’ve had to send resources from the south up north because that’s where we typically see more snow than down south,” said McLeod. “We don’t want to shortchange an area if we see freezing or any other issues develop. We want to make sure between we start shifting plows from one area to the other that the roads in that area are in really good condition.”

Sands says even though the snow has stopped falling and crews are making significant progress, caution is still needed. “They’re already talking about the potential of some more snow, or at least wet, wintry conditions through the end of the week. So, it’s a great time to take that message to heart, go home and make sure you’ve got an emergency kit in your car, as well as in your house,” he said.

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