UD cancels Tue. classes; Evacuation order in Wilmington; Government offices, schools closed
Heavy rain began falling and high water reports poured in as Hurricane Sandy approached Delaware.Markell ordered businesses in areas to be evacuated to close at 6 p.m. on Sunday and ordered a ban on all non-essential driving A list of evacuated areas is available here.
Starting Monday morning, all DART First State fixed-route bus and paratransit services were suspended until further notice. State and city offices will be closed on Monday. Post offices were closed and most Amtrak service on the East Coast was halted.
The Delaware Department of Transportation reported high water on Delaware Route 1 north of the Indian River Bridge. That led DelDOT to begin closing Route 1 between Dewey beach and Bethany Beach. DelDOT also waived tolls on Route 1 to speed evacuations.
A revised map from the National Hurricane Center projected that rainfall from the storm would total more than6 inches in much of the state.
Following Gov. Jack Markell’s order of a mandatory evacuation of coastal communities in the state, New Castle County Executive Paul Clark has declared a local state of emergency starting at 9 a.m. Sunday to assist with the evacuation of residents from flood-prone areas of the county.
New Castle County libraries, parks, activity centers and Rockwood Museum will close at 3 p.m. Sunday, and all sports activities at the Hockessin and Garfield centers will end by that time.
The governor ordered the mandatory evacuation period from 8 p.m., Saturday through 8 Sunday night. To facilitate the evacuation he declared a limited state of emergency, which does not include any driving restrictions or bans and does not require businesses to close.
Residents who need to evacuate their homes are encouraged to find shelter with relatives or friends. Among the public shelters that will open Sunday at noon are ones at William Penn and Middletown High schools and Smyrna Middle School. Those who need to use the shelters should bring sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets and be prepared to sleep on the floor.
Delaware State Police have placed all troopers on a standby alert status. Troopers will be deployed to the areas where they will be needed based on final projected path of the storm.
Additional troopers will supplement operations to assist with the mandatory evacuations and providing additional patrols to protect property that has been evacuated. Troopers will also be providing security to the designated statewide shelters.
Troopers will be assisted by the Delaware National Guard partners and will have specialized National Guard vehicles and personnel positioned throughout the state to provide access to areas that would be impassable by other means, according to a State Police release.
Widespread damage from wind and water is possible from the storm, which could pass over northern Delaware. Newark already canceled the annual Sunday Halloween Parade and Trick or Treat on Main Street event, one of many events that have been delayed or canceled. Rain is expected to begin on Sunday.
The Cape May – Lewes Ferry will suspend service following the last scheduled departures on Saturday night.Based on storm projections, service is expected to be suspended through Tuesday. Vessels will be docked in Gloucester, N.J.
Wilmington Mayor James Baker Saturday afternoon declared a state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of a flood-prone area of the city. Click here for the story:
States of emergency were declared for Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The sustained winds from the store could also affect political advertising in the state as yard signs could become projectiles in high winds. Candidates were asked to pick up their yard signs until the storm passes.
On Saturday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did order the evacuation of barrier islands and the closing of Atlantic City casinos effective at 4 p.m. on Sunday. A few evacuation orders were rescinded. Casinos announced noon Sunday closings in Atlantic City.
A big concern may be rainfall, with the National Weather Service projecting several inches of rain in Delaware. The latest National Hurricane Center map did indicate rainfall amounts could run below the foot of rain that had earlier been predicted in some areas.
In Wilmington, the southeast section often experiences higher than normal water levels during heavy storms, and in past years this area of the city has been evacuated for the safety of the more than 3,000 residents living in those areas
If Hurricane Sandy continues its current path and an evacuation is in order, the City of Wilmington will announce evacuation procedures through its emergency notification process.
In Newark, the University of Delaware canceled all weekend activities and canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday. Students were urged to go home to ride out the storm. A large percentage of UD students live within a half-day’s drive of Newark. 
The brunt of the storm is not expected to hit until Monday, but could last for an extended period.
Newark’s trash collection service has been modified for the week of October 29. Trash will not be collected on Monday or Tuesday.
If trash is normally collected on Monday, then it will be collected on Thursday. If it is normally collected on Tuesday, then it will be collected on Friday. There will be no recycling collection or Green Wednesday yard waste collection. Fall leaf collection has also been canceled for October 29 through October 31 and will resume on Thursday, November 1, weather permitting.
Residents are asked to begin making preparations now. At minimum, residents should obtain bottled water at one gallon per person per day for at least three days, and non-perishable foods in preparation for potential power failure and problems with water systems.
Those who need prescription medications should have at least a three day supply of medicine available to them.
Most damage caused in a storm like this is from blowing debris. Be sure to bring in lawn furniture and remove all items that are not secured outside.
Residents dependent upon electricity for health care in any way should make plans ahead of time to go to a friend’s or relative’s home. Should electricity be disrupted, the City of Newark will restore service as soon as possible. The Electric Department will be working through the storm unless conditions become dangerous.
The following is a list of streets that have been prone to flooding in past storms and that will likely flood as a result of the approaching hurricane. If you live in this area, we urge you to prepare for evacuation.
Please make the appropriate preparations in advance of the storm’s arrival to ensure your safety. Crews may not be able to reach those in need of rescue if there is fast moving water.
Areas that could be affected are:
- West Chestnut Hill Road at creek
- Paper Mill Road at creek
- Creek Road
- Old Paper Mill Road at creek
- Curtis Lane
- Delrem Drive at Rt. 273 intersection
- Casho Mill Road underpass
- Bellevue Road at Yorkshire Ditch
- Welsh Tract Road at creek
- Park Drive at creek
- Brook Drive from creek
- Barksdale Road opposite Handoff Park
- Barksdale Road at creek
- Shull Drive between Devon Dr. & Chrysler Ave. and south of Cornwall Drive
- Catch basin on east side of South College Avenue on the north side at the foot of the Amtrak bridge
- Casho Mill Road at Produce Marketing
- Timberline Drive at Timbercreek
- Fall Brook Road
- Arbour Drive
