Governor Jack Markell (D) has updated and expanded Delaware’s state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Irene’s arrival in the First State this weekend.
Gov. Markell is ordered mandatory evacuation of residents in the coastal communities of all three Delaware counties beginning at noon Friday. Areas of evacuation include all locations within three-quarters of a mile of major waterways throughout the state. Evacuation must be complete by 9:00 AM on Saturday.
In order to ease the evacuation, tolls on Route 1 have been waived as of noon Friday .
The governor encourages residents of the evacuation areas to leave as soon as possible, discouraging travel to those areas unless it is to help with the evacuation. Businesses in those communities are ordered to close Saturday into Sunday. Those providing essential services such as food or gas may reopen as early as Monday.
The governor is expecting bridge and road closures, as the bridges over the C&D Canal as well as the Indian River Inlet Bridge may become impassable due to flooding and debris. “Today is the day to relocate if necessary,” Markell said, warning that first responders may not be able to reach certain areas for some time due to flooding and wind.
Delaware Governor Jack Markell
Gov. Markell talks about the evacuation of Delaware’s coast and on preparing for Hurricane Irene
At this time, the state of emergency does not include driving restrictions, but the governor says that that may change on Saturday if driving conditions become too dangerous. DelDOT has announced that DART bus service, including paratransit, will be suspended in all counties on Saturday and Sunday.
Shelters each each county also opened Friday at noon.
In Sussex County, Beacon Middle School in Lewes, Indian River High School in Dagsboro, and Milford High School in Milford will serve as shelters. Indian River High and Milford High are accepting pets,
In Kent County, Lake Forest High School in Felton and Smyrna Middle School in Smyrna are the designated shelters and both are pet friendly.
In New Castle County, William Penn High School in New Castle and Middletown High School in Middletown are serving as shelters. Middletown High will accept pets.
In order to avoid overloading the phone lines, 911 is to be used for emergencies only, not for general inquiries about the storm. The governor asks that residents stay aware of the storm by using media and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) website.
State offices were also closed as of noon Friday and only essential state workers are required to report between noon Friday and 5 pm Sunday.
Earlier Friday, the National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for the entire state of Delaware. The warning means hurricane conditions are expected to develop within 48 hours. The state is expected to feel the most significant impacts of Hurricane Irene between late afternoon Saturday through Sunday.
Thursday, Markell declared a state of emergency, saying the threat was “significant” as Delaware faces a storm worse that any seen in the state since the mid-1940s, At that time, Markell placed all state police officers on call during the state of emergency and activated 15 hundred members of the Delaware National Guard.
- You can find more information on Hurricane Irene and preparations for the storm in Delaware at the following sites:
- Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA)
- DEMA’s Disaster Preparedness
- NOAA Watches, Warnings and Advisories
- NOAA Hurricane Irene Watch
- Hurricanes and Floods: Emergency Management
- Sussex County Storm Information
- PrepareDE: Hurricane Preparedness
