(Smyrna, DE) – Officials at the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) continue to monitor forecasts from the National Weather Service.  DEMA reminds residents to be aware of the most current weather information and their surroundings over the weekend.  Heavy rains could lead to flash flooding, flooding of rivers, creeks and streams, and flooding in poor drainage areas.  Along the coast, rising waters could flood roadways, as well as low-lying areas of the shore and back bays.

Most of Delaware has received between one and three inches of rain since Tuesday, and two to four more inches are possible through Sunday morning.  The entire state continues under a Flash Flood Watch through 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, along with a Coastal Flood Advisory for the Delaware Bay from 10 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Saturday.

Remember to never drive into flooded roadways – turn around, don’t drown.

Tune in to local television and radio stations, as well as NOAA Weather radio for current forecasts.  Information can also be found at www.weather.gov/phi.

(Smyrna, DE) — A major hurricane makes landfall near Hampton Roads, Virginia and continues on to cause severe damage to homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure all through the Mid-Atlantic region, including Delaware.  A nightmare scenario?

It is the scenario that five states – Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia – will face during the first two weeks of May while participating in a National Level Exercise (NLE).  The exercise will examine the ability of all levels of government, private industry, and nongovernmental organizations to protect against, respond to, and recover from a catastrophic Mid-Atlantic hurricane.

Multiple agencies in Delaware will be involved in response to the simulated disaster over the two-week period, including:

• Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA)
• Delaware Division of Public Health
• Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT)
• Delaware State Police
• Division of Communications (DivComm)
• Delaware National Guard
• Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)
• Delaware Department of Education
• Delaware Solid Waste Authority
• New Castle, Kent, and Sussex County Emergency Management offices
• American Red Cross
• Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD)
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region III

Participants will test their capabilities related to pre-landfall protective actions and warning, sustained response and recovery planning, continuity of government and essential functions during a major disaster, and management of long-duration power outages and critical interdependencies.

The National Level Exercise was mandated by Congress in the Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

While officials in Delaware prepare for and test their capabilities to respond to a major natural disaster, there are actions that individuals, businesses, and community organizations can take in order to sustain themselves in the event of an actual emergency.

Make a plan and make a kit.  For individuals, simple actions such as developing a family communication plan, purchasing flood or wind insurance, and making an emergency kit, can go a long way toward being prepared.  Businesses also need to assess their risk and make an emergency plan.  Civic organizations, homeowners associations, and other community groups can work together to make plans and share resources.

For information on how individuals, businesses and organizations can prepare for emergencies, log on to ready.gov or preparede.org.

(Smyrna, DE) — Fourteen area children from seven schools have been selected to receive awards for producing art work to be included in the 2018-2019 PSEG Nuclear Emergency Plan Information Calendar for Delaware and New Jersey.

The honorees were chosen from among elementary school students who submitted art work.  All of the participating schools are in the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ), which is the area within a 10 mile radius of the Salem/Hope Creek Generating Stations in New Jersey.  The calendar will be mailed to residents of the EPZ later in the year.  Artwork will be posted to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency’s (DEMA) website in the near future.

WINNERS and SCHOOLS are listed:

Ethan Egloff, Sophia Nguyen – Brick Mill Elementary School

Damien Frezza, Yutika Kedia – Cedar Lane Elementary School

Aziza Prince, Yasmine Wright – Kathleen H. Wilbur Elementary School

Ruby Jordan, Gabrielle Baran – Old State Elementary School

Makenzie Tyson, Samantha Klein – Silver Lake Elementary School

Paige Romone, Riley Truver – Southern Elementary School

Lincoln Latagne, Ethan Fink – Townsend Elementary School

DEMA Director A.J. Schall, and David Burgin, Corporate Manager-Emergency Preparedness at PSEG, presented the winning students  with gifts and certificates during a ceremony Thursday, April 26 at the Delaware National Guard Smyrna Readiness Center.

State Fleet vans and other vehicles deployed to spot distracted drivers during April enforcement period.

Dover, DE. April 13, 2018 – With funding from the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS), the Delaware State Police (DSP) are using unconventional vehicles to spot drivers who break our distracted driving laws.

Two enforcement efforts were implemented on March 29 and April 12, 2018. The first netted 13 violations for distracted driving, 6 seat belt violations, and 5 other violations for a total of 24 tickets issued. The second enforcement resulted in 17 distracted driving violations, 5 seatbelt violations, and 5 other violations, including one person arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

“We want Delaware motorists to understand the risks of cell phone and other mobile device usage while driving. Taking your eyes off the road for even a few seconds could result in a crash that could result in serious injury or death. We are serious about enforcement of our traffic laws for everyone’s safety,” said Mitch Topal, OHS Marketing Specialist and Public Information Officer.

“The Delaware State Police would like to inform motorists that April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Driving needs your full attention and one quick look at a cell phone or a glance at the radio can divert your attention away from the roadway and lead to a crash. Public Safety on our roads is a top priority, as such we have partnered with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety to enhance enforcement targeting those who are driving distracted,” said Sergeant Richard Bratz, Director of the Public Information Office of the Delaware State Police.

According to NHTSA, 3,450 people were killed across the country in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2016. Nationally and in Delaware, distracted driving fatalities have been trending upward since 2012. Texting while driving has become an especially problematic trend among millennials. Young drivers 16 to 24 years old have been observed using handheld electronic devices while driving at higher rates than older drivers since 2007.

The Delaware OHS recognizes that this is becoming a serious problem and is taking steps to reverse this trend in our state. Along with unconventional enforcement strategies, we are employing a concentrated paid media campaign with the theme, “Don’t be the You You Hate.”

For more information, please visit ohs.delaware.gov and www.arrivealivede.com/Drive-Sober

NEW CASTLE (April 10, 2018) – In the wake of a dozen overdoses in Camden, N.J., including four that were fatal on Friday, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker is urging people in active substance use in Delaware to be aware of the increased possibility that heroin could be laced with fatal amounts of fentanyl.

“Because of I-95, we know it’s easy for heroin and other illicit drugs to flow to Delaware from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and other states,” said Secretary Walker, a board-certified family physician. “If you are in active use, we urge you to seek treatment immediately. If you continue to use substances, have the overdose-reversing medication naloxone with you because the risk for death is increased. Our first priority is to reduce harm and save lives.”

Camden County (N.J.) Police said at least a dozen people overdosed during a short period Friday from heroin laced with fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin. Four of those people died, police said.

In Delaware, there have been 71 deaths from suspected overdoses through April 9 of this year, including six from Friday, April 6, through Monday, April 9, according to preliminary reports from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s Division of Forensic Science. Of the 71 total deaths for 2018, 50 have been in New Castle County, 15 in Sussex County and six in Kent County, The youngest person who died was 19; the oldest 74.

Elizabeth Romero, director of DHSS’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, encouraged individuals in active substance use in Delaware to see a medical provider immediately or call DHSS’ 24/7 Crisis Services Hotline to be connected to trained crisis professionals who can discuss treatment options. In New Castle County, the number is 1-800-652-2929. In Kent and Sussex counties, the number is 1-800-345-6785. Individuals and families also can visit DHSS’ website, www.HelpIsHereDE.com, for addiction treatment and recovery services in Delaware or nearby states.

If individuals see someone overdosing, they should call 911. Under Delaware’s 911/Good Samaritan Law, people who call 911 to report an overdose and the person in medical distress cannot be arrested for low-level drug crimes.

If a user has ingested fentanyl or a drug laced with fentanyl, time is critical because the powerful opioid quickly affects the central nervous system and the brain. Users often have trouble breathing or can stop breathing as the drug sedates them. If someone is too drowsy to answer questions, is having difficulty breathing, or appears to be so asleep they cannot be awakened, call 911 immediately.

Naloxone, the overdose-reversing medication carried in Delaware by community members, paramedics and some police officers, can be administered in overdoses involving fentanyl. Because fentanyl is more potent than heroin or opioid painkillers, multiple doses of naloxone may be needed to reverse an overdose. In 2017, Delaware paramedics and police officers administered naloxone 2,714 times in suspected overdose situations to a total of 1,906 patients.

Overdose deaths continue to increase in Delaware. In 2017, 345 people died from overdoses, up 12 percent from the 308 people who died in 2016, according to statistics from the Division of Forensic Science.

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The Department of Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of life of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.