Drivers should continue to exercise caution on roadways

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney will lift the Level 1 Driving Warning in New Castle County effective at noon on Tuesday, March 14. The warning has been in effect since midnight. The Delaware National Guard will continue to provide assistance to state and local authorities responding to the winter storm, at the discretion of the Adjutant General.

Full text of the Governor’s order is available below.

Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) crews continue to plow and salt roadways in New Castle County. State officials are monitoring today’s forecast that is producing a wintry mix and wind gusts in New Castle County; and heavy rain and wind gusts in Kent and Sussex counties.

Motorists should continue to exercise caution when driving today, and be on the watch for hazards such as water on roads, icy patches and snow-covered roadways. With the high wind gusts, motorists should be alert and careful for fallen tree limbs and power lines and debris on the roads.

Click here for DelDOT’s full update on road conditions.

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

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TERMINATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY
FOR NEW CASTLE COUNTY

WHEREAS, on Monday, March 13, 2017 through Tuesday, March 14, 2017, New Castle County experienced a winter storm with snowfall, sleet, and gusting winds, resulting in decreased visibility and other road hazards that made driving dangerous.
WHEREAS, in light of the foregoing conditions, I declared a State of Emergency including a Level 1 Driving Warning on Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 12:00 a.m. E.S.T.; and
WHEREAS, although cold temperatures and high winds remain, the winter storm that resulted in snow, sleet, and decreased visibility has passed; and
WHEREAS, through the significant efforts of the Delaware Department of Transportation and state and local emergency responders, travel on many Delaware roads is possible again, although not all roads may be passable and motorists should exercise extreme caution; and
WHEREAS, the foregoing emergency has been dealt with to the extent that conditions necessitating a State of Emergency no longer exist.

NOW THEREFORE, I, JOHN C. CARNEY, do hereby declare that:

1. My declaration of a State of Emergency for the State of Delaware dated Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 12:00 a.m. E.S.T. is hereby terminated as of Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. E.S.T.
2. Pursuant to 20 DEL. C. § 3116(a)(11), the Delaware National Guard shall continue to provide necessary assistance to state and local authorities, at the discretion of the Adjutant General or her designee.

APPROVED this 14th day of March, 2017, at 12:00 p.m.

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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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.

DOVER — As influenza continues to spread across Delaware, the Division of Public Health (DPH) announces the first Sussex County flu-related death for the 2016-2017 season. The deceased was a 74-year-old female who was a resident at a long-term care facility. The Delaware Public Health Laboratory confirmed that she had been diagnosed with Influenza A and had multiple underlying health conditions. Her death brings the state total this flu season to three. The three people who died all had underlying health conditions, in addition to being ill with the flu.

Because the flu vaccine takes two weeks to take effect and the season has not yet hit its peak, DPH is reminding Delawareans that it is not too late to receive this year’s flu vaccine.

This flu season is hitting children, teens and young adults particularly hard. The last week of January saw a surge in the number of flu cases among Delawareans ages 5 to 24. There were 142 laboratory-confirmed cases for the week, and more than one-third of them were in individuals in this age group. For this flu season, there have been 283 confirmed cases statewide among those age 5 to 24, with 19 requiring hospitalization. In comparison, during the same week last year, there were only nine persons in this age group who were confirmed to have the flu, and one had been hospitalized.

Last year’s flu season activity did not increase until mid-March. At that time, there were 826 cases of lab-confirmed influenza. As of the week ending February 4, Delaware has confirmed 896 cases of the flu for the 2016-2017 season, with 199 requiring hospitalization. Of the 896 confirmed cases, 511 have been in New Castle County, 226 in Kent County, and 159 in Sussex County. These numbers reflect lab-confirmed cases and the number of individuals in the community with influenza or influenza-like illnesses, is likely much higher. DPH recommends that anyone who has not yet been vaccinated against the flu this season do so immediately.

Flu vaccines are still available at DPH clinics located within the State Service Centers. A list of locations and times is available at http://flu.delaware.gov or by calling 800-282-8672.

Vaccines are also available at many pharmacies and grocery stores, as well as through primary care physicians and some specialists. To find participating stores, enter your ZIP code in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) flu vaccine finder at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/.

While the annual flu vaccination is your best protection against the virus, DPH also stresses the importance of taking further precautions against the flu virus such as washing your hands regularly, especially after coughing or sneezing, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue that is immediately disposed of or coughing or sneezing into your elbow rather than your hand, and staying home from work, school, or other engagements if you are sick with flu-like illnesses which include cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue. While more common in children, some people might also experience vomiting or diarrhea. Droplets from a sneeze can travel up to six feet. You should not return to your regular activities until you are fever-free (100 degrees F [37.8 degrees C]), without fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours.

Contact a doctor if symptoms worsen or someone has an underlying medical condition. A doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs. Antivirals are a second line of defense to treat the flu. It can lessen the symptoms, shorten the illness, and prevent complications. However, a flu vaccine is still the first and best way to prevent the flu.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

Governor will announce selection to lead review by February 15

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Tuesday that he will initiate an independent review of the hostage incident at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center last week that led to the death of a 16-year correctional officer, Lt. Steven Floyd.

Governor Carney will announce his selection to lead the review by February 15.

“We will find out how this happened, and work together with all parties involved to prevent this type of incident from happening again,” said Governor Carney. “Every day, our correctional officers accept the risk of performing a dangerous job on behalf of the people of Delaware. And we must take the action necessary to ensure our correctional facilities remain safe and secure.”

The independent review will be initiated after the completion of a Delaware State Police criminal investigation into Lt. Floyd’s death, so as to not interfere with that investigation. A separate internal investigation at the Department of Correction also is ongoing.

The independent review will explore the immediate and underlying causes of the hostage incident at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, which began on Wednesday, February 1. The reviewer will develop a series of actionable recommendations to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future.

Details about the scope of the review will be released by February 15.

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