Sussex County dealt with heavy rains and high winds Friday – a combination that had officials dealing with some serious flooding issues.
Gov. Jack Markell issued a limited state of emergency for Sussex County to address moderate to major coastal flooding expected at high tides Friday and Saturday
“Though predicted rainfall totals have dropped and the expected path of Hurricane Joaquin remains well off-coast, high winds and coastal flooding will significantly impact Sussex County,” said Gov. Markell in a statement announcing the limited state of emergency. “State and local officials are taking the necessary steps to prepare for possible evacuations and road closures and the National Guard has been deployed to Kent and Sussex Counties to support those efforts, as needed. Residents in flood-prone areas of the state should prepare accordingly and continue to monitor communications from state and local agencies for updates.”
State offices remain open in Sussex County and there are no driving restrictions, but officials are warning residents of flood-prone areas in Sussex County and elsewhere to seriously consider taking precautionary measures.
“We are seeing some moderate to significant flooding in some areas of the county, particularly around the lower Delaware Bay and the Inland Bays area," said Sussex County communications director Chip Guy. "These are locations that tend to be problematic during long duration weather events, such as a nor’easter like this.
Guy adds that no shelters have been designated or evacuations ordered in Sussex. However, residents of flood-prone communities may want to voluntarily evacuate since this is a long duration event.
“If they know their community has a tendency to flood, we advise the public that it may be appropriate to to look elsewhere, to seek higher ground, to go stay with relatives, to do something of that order,” said Guy.
DelDOT is reporting a number road closures in both Sussex and Kent counties due to water on the roadway. Most notably Route 1 between Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach is closed both north and south bound due to flooding. DelDOT also announced the speed limit on I-495 in New Castle County has been lowered to 45 miles per hour.
The Delaware Environmental Observing System reports areas along the Delaware coast in Sussex County, such as Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, have already received nearly 4 inches of rain in the past 24 hours with peak wind gust s near 40 miles an hour.
The forecast calls for rain and wind along the coast to continue through Sunday with a high wind warning through 1am Saturday and a coastal flood warning through Sunday at 6pm
The list of flood-prone areas state officials are warning are:
Sussex County Delaware Bay Communities
Slaughter Beach
Prime Hook Beach
Broadkill Beach
Lewes Beach, east of the Rehoboth Lewes canal
Sussex County Ocean Coastal Communities
Areas within ¾ of a mile of the coast in the following communities:
Henlopen Acres
Rehoboth Beach
Dewey Beach
North Bethany
Bethany Beach
South Bethany
Fenwick Island
Sussex County Inland Bay Communities
Areas surrounding the Rehoboth Bay, Indian River and Little Assawoman Bay
Flood-prone areas south of Route 24 (John J. Williams Highway) including Angola, Long Neck and Oak Orchard
Flood-prone areas along Route 26 (Vines Creek Road and Atlantic Avenue)
Flood-prone areas along Route 54 (Lighthouse Road)
Sussex County Western Communities
Flood-prone areas in close proximity to the Nanticoke and Broad Creek Rivers
