In Face of Blizzard and Winter Storm Warnings, Code Purple Being Declared Across Delaware to Shelter People in Need

NEW CASTLE (Jan. 3, 2018) – With a blizzard warning for Sussex County beginning tonight into Thursday and a winter storm warning for Kent and New Castle counties, Code Purple is being declared across the state. Additional declarations are expected.

Since most Code Purple sites use volunteers to manage operations, the activation and implementation vary by county and site. To be connected to Code Purple resources, call Delaware 2-1-1 or click the Code Purple button at www.delaware211.org. Or call the Delaware Housing Alliance’s Centralized Intake Line at 302-654-0126, ext. 112. If you see someone outside who appears to be homeless, encourage them to seek emergency shelter or call a non-emergency police number to alert the police to the situation.

Details about the shelters, which are organized and operated by nonprofit organizations or volunteers, include:

SUSSEX COUNTY
Code Purple is declared when temperatures fall below 32 degrees. Sanctuaries through the weekend:
• St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 202 N. North St., Seaford (men only). Check-in at 8:30 p.m.
• Gateway Fellowship, 8011 Cannon Road, Bridgeville (women and children only). Check-in at 8:30 p.m. For both sites, dinner is provided at 7 p.m. at the CROSS building, 703 E. King St., Seaford, with transportation to Gateway Fellowship afterward.
• Avenue United Methodist Church, 20 N. Church St., Milford (men only). Check-in at 7 p.m.; meals provided on-site.
• Laurel Nazarene, 100 Walnut Drive, Laurel (men, with separate space for fathers with children). Check-in at 7 p.m. Dinner provided at the CROSS building, 703 E. King St., Seaford, with transportation to and from the CROSS to be provided.
• Georgetown Presbyterian, 203 N. Bedford St., Georgetown. Call Pastor Mike at 302-344-1912 or leave a message at the church at 302-856-6842. The sanctuary is only open for extreme weather. People must call ahead about availability.
• Immanuel Code Purple Shelter, 37439 Oyster House Road, Rehoboth Beach, open nightly until April 1 regardless of the temperature (serving men and women). 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. daily.

For more information, call the hotline at 302-519-0024 or visit: https://codepurplesussexcounty.com

KENT COUNTY
Code Purple has been declared for tonight and Thursday night. The schedule:

Men
• Centennial United Methodist Church, 44 E. Mount Vernon St., Smyrna (5 p.m.)
• Presbyterian Church, 54 S. State St., Dover (5 p.m.)
• Avenue United Methodist Church, 20 N. Church St., Milford (5 p.m.)
In Dover, all overflow for men will be sent after dinner at Presbyterian to emergency center at Dover Interfaith.

Women
• Wesley United Methodist Church (enter on North Street), 209 S. State St., (5:30 p.m.)
• Milford Community Center, 105 NE Front St. (5 p.m.)

Thursday during the day:
• Hopes & Dreams Peer Resource Center, 621 W. Division St., Dover, will open from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Dover Interfaith Resource Center, 684 Forest St., Dover, will open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

For information about future locations, call the hotline at 1-800-733-6816.

NEW CASTLE COUNTY
Wilmington and Newark: The lead agency for Code Purple in New Castle County is Friendship House, which operates two Code Purple winter sanctuary programs – one in Wilmington and the other in Newark through the Newark Empowerment Center. The Wilmington program is operated in collaboration with the Salvation Army. Beside the Friendship/Salvation Army winter sanctuary program, the Sunday Breakfast Mission and the Rick VanStory Resource Center offer overnight shelter to both men and women.

The Salvation Army has declared Code Purple for tonight, Jan. 3, with additional declarations expected:
• Salvation Army building, 400 N. Orange St. Those who seek overnight housing will receive a hot snack, continental breakfast and a shower.

In Newark, Code Purple has been declared for Thursday, Jan. 4, through Saturday, Jan. 6. The Newark Empowerment Center connects people with overnight stays at a rotating group of churches when Code Purple is declared, with visitors welcome for emergency sanctuary from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. To register, call 302-544-0165. The locations:

• Thursday, Jan. 4: Calvary Baptist Church, 215 E. Delaware Ave., Newark.
• Friday, Jan. 5: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark, 420 Willa Road.
• Saturday, Jan. 6: New Ark United Church of Christ, 300 E. Main St., Newark.

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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.


DelDOT: Winter Storm Grayson Preparations

DelDOT’s maintenance crews in Kent and Sussex Counties maintenance districts are brining the primary roads today, and will continue to monitor weather conditions statewide as the winter storm approaches. New Castle County primary roads have already been pre-treated.

A winter storm advisory is in effect from 7 p.m. tonight until 5 p.m. tomorrow for central and northern Delaware with a winter storm warning for southern Delaware in effect for Thursday, January 4. At this time, motorists may anticipate snow accumulations of 2 to 8 inches with the higher amounts in southern Delaware. With the forecasted gusty winds, DelDOT anticipates drifting snow which will greatly impact visibility and road conditions and slow snow removal operations. Motorists should use caution when driving on bridges, ramps, and overpasses that may have ice and slippery conditions.

After the primary roads are passable, DelDOT’s crews will move to the secondary roads. DelDOT’s crews may also return to the primary roads even after operations have started on secondary roads due to the changing of weather conditions.

During snow storms, DelDOT’s snow plow tracker will be activated and the public can use the DelDOT app or www.deldot.gov to track the real-time position of DelDOT’s snowplows and see live conditions via the more than 100 traffic cameras positioned across the state.

Please assist in our operations by being mindful of our snowplow operators and do not pass a snowplow. Motorists should maintain a safe speed and control of your vehicle.

DelDOT will be providing regular updates on conditions throughout the duration of the storm. Motorists can listen to WTMC 1380 AM, DelDOT’s travel information radio station for real-time updates. WTMC broadcasts are also streamed on the DelDOT app.


Governor Carney Closes State Offices in New Castle County

Level 1 Driving Warning remains in effect

WILMINGTON, Del. – With the winter storm continuing to impact Delaware, State of Delaware offices in New Castle County will be closed during regular business hours — 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Non-essential employees who live or work in New Castle County are not to report to work during this period. Essential employees are to report as scheduled.

Governor Carney’s Level 1 Driving Warning remains in effect in New Castle County. Under a Level 1 Driving Warning drivers are discouraged from operating a motor vehicle on the state’s roadways, unless there is a significant safety, health, or business reason to do so.

The Governor urges media and residents to monitor social media for continuous updates:
https://twitter.com/JohnCarneyDE
https://www.facebook.com/JohnCarneyDE
https://twitter.com/DelawareDOT
https://www.facebook.com/delawaredot/
https://twitter.com/DelawareEMA

Read the latest update on roadway conditions from DelDOT:

Delaware Department of Transportation crews have been working steadily to prepare the state’s roadways for removal of snow and ice. Snow began to fall overnight, and storm activity is expected to last until the late afternoon hours in New Castle County.
DelDOT’s maintenance forces will continue snow removal operations throughout the day. Motorists should continue to exercise extreme caution when driving today, and be on the watch for hazards such as icy patches and snow covered roadways. With the high wind gusts, motorists should be alert and careful for fallen tree limbs/power lines and debris on the roads.
Every effort will be made to keep the state’s roadways open and operating, the public may expect disruption and delays as the storm progresses.

Once primary roads are passable, DelDOT’s crews will move to the secondary roads. Crews may be forced to return to the primary roads even after operations have started on secondary roads, due to the changing of weather conditions.

DelDOT wants to stress the importance of staying off the roads, if possible, during major storms and slow down when you drive. There is a potential for snow squalls to develop, which could lead to hazardous driving conditions.

DelDOT Transportation Management Center (TMC)
DelDOT’s Transportation Management Center (TMC) and WTMC-1380 AM provides motorists real-time traffic conditions throughout the state.  Motorists can contact the TMC 24/7 to report any travel or traffic related issues at the following numbers:  Dial #77 from any cell phone; (302) 659-4600; or 1-800-324-8379.

DelDOT App
The DelDOT App is available for Apple & Android smart phones and tablets, and can be downloaded free, search for “DelDOT” at the Apple and Google Play stores. With the DelDOT App you can view real time traffic cameras, travel times, delays, advisories, DART’s Real-Time Transit Information, and also listen to WTMC 1380 AM.

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Governor Carney Announces Level 1 Driving Warning for Winter Storm in New Castle County

Driving warning begins at midnight, urges extra caution on roadways

WILMINGTON, Del. – With an impending winter storm expected to impact Delaware, Governor John Carney on Monday evening issued a Level 1 Driving Warning for New Castle County effective Tuesday, March 14 at 12:00 a.m., and authorized the Delaware National Guard to assist state and local officials with any necessary response and recovery for this severe winter storm effective Monday, March 13, 2017 at 9:00 p.m.

A Level One Driving Warning means that any person operating a motor vehicle on Delaware roadways must exercise extra caution. Driving is not banned, but nonessential employees (both public and private) are encouraged not to operate a motor vehicle unless there is a significant safety, health or business reason to do so.

Updated information from the National Weather Service indicates the following for Delaware:

New Castle County

  • A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from Monday, March 13 at 8:00 p.m. until Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 6:00 p.m..
  • Expect heavy snow and sleet, with snow accumulation 6-10 inches.
  • Snow is expected to start between 8:00 p.m. and 10 p.m. this evening, heavy at times after midnight. Snow will mix with sleet between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., then change back to snow in Tuesday morning.
  • A Coastal Flood Advisory in effect Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Kent County

  • A Winter Storm Advisory is in effect from Monday, March 13, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. until Tuesday, March 14 at 4:00 p.m.
  • Expect snow and sleet, with snow accumulation 2-4 inches.
  • Snow is expected to start Monday evening between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., change to or mix with sleet and rain Tuesday morning, then back to snow.
  • A Coastal Flood Advisory in effect Tuesday from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

Sussex County

  • A Coastal Flood Watch in effect Tuesday, March 14, 2017 from 7:00 AM until 3:00 p.m.
  • A High Wind Warning will be in effect Tuesday from 2:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.

The Delaware Division of Public Health reminds residents to protect themselves and animals ahead of the winter storm.

The Governor urges media and residents to check social media for continuous updates:
https://twitter.com/JohnCarneyDE
https://www.facebook.com/JohnCarneyDE
https://twitter.com/DelawareDOT
https://twitter.com/DelawareEMA

 

 

Click here for a PDF of the Declaration of a Limited State of Emergency and Level 1 Driving Warning for New Castle County due to a Severe Winter Storm.