Four-leaf clovers and pots of gold might be a bit harder to find this St. Patrick’s Day as another late-season winter storm is poised to blanket Sussex County with a thick coating of white just days before the start of spring.
A storm approaching from the southwest is beginning to overspread the Mid-Atlantic region this Sunday afternoon. Most of the precipitation is expected to fall as snow, starting this evening and lasting overnight into the morning commute on Monday, March 17. A winter storm warning is in effect for Sussex County until noon Monday.
National Weather Service forecasters predict accumulations ranging anywhere from 6 to 10 inches, depending on location, across Sussex County. Meantime, winds up to 35 mph, with some higher gusts along the coast, and minor tidal flooding are possible.
“This kind of forecast has become all too familiar for Sussex County this season,” said Sussex County Emergency Operations Center Director Joseph Thomas. “If there’s any bright side, it’s that our residents have had plenty of practice to be prepared. Hopefully we can count on that preparation and a little Irish luck this St. Patrick’s Day to avoid any real problems from this latest event.”
Residents and property owners are once again reminded to have basic household supplies on hand, including extra food and water, first-aid supplies, flashlights and batteries, a battery-powered weather radio, extra prescription medicines, baby items, an emergency heat source and sufficient heating fuel. While travel during the storm and immediately afterward is strongly discouraged, motorists should be prepared with certain essentials, including ice scrapers, blankets, sand or cat litter, de-icer, flashlights and batteries, mobile telephones, high-calorie non-perishable food and water, and a full tank of gas.
The Sussex County EOC continues to monitor forecasts and is working closely with other local and state governmental agencies. EOC staff is on standby, and further updates will be issued, as needed.
For the latest on road closures, visit the Delaware Department of Transportation website at www.deldot.gov. To view a map of power outages, visit Delmarva Power at www.delmarva.com and the Delaware Electric Cooperative at www.delaware.coop.
For updates on the storm or any emergency response, stay tuned to local media outlets, 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. For non-emergency storm-related questions, contact the EOC’s storm hotline at (302) 856-7366.
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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) 858-0505.