The Delaware Department of Transportation is gearing up for this weekend’s snowstorm.
DelDOT spokesman Jim Westhoff says road crews have been on the job since early this morning.
“And they’ll stay all day, " he says. "Then when it starts to snow, immediately the first step is to put down salt which will slow down or even eliminate any accumulation on the roads and then when the snow gets deep enough for plowing, then we put the plows down and get to work.”
Westhoff adds the state’s fleet of 450 snow plows, loaders, and road graders will focus on clearing primary roads like I-95 and Routes 13, 1 and 202 first. Secondary roads are plowed only after primary roads are open and passable.
As many as 500 state employees could be called in to help remove snow from Delaware roads. Even so,Westhoff says people shouldn't drive if they don’t have too.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, about 70 percent of snow and ice-related injuries occur in vehicle crashes.
Meanwhile, DelDOT’s snowplowtracker app has been activated. Delawareans can use the app to see where the plows are in realtime.
And with winter storm conditions ramping up in Delaware, homeless shelters are opening their doors and the National Guard is on standby to help.
They're working with the state Emergency Management Agency to position 125 soldiers and airmen along with vehicles around the state.
They'll be on hand to assist in flooding and heavy snow conditions, and to make sure emergency vehicles can operate throughout the storm.
There's also a Code Purple in effect, opening pop-up shelters in dozens of places of worship and community spaces in all three counties. They're for anyone in need of refuge now through at least Monday or Tuesday.
The shelters are also often in need of volunteers and donations of food, money and supplies. You can contact 2-1-1 for details on where to take shelter or where to help out, or read more below via DHSS.
Wilmington: 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 done in collaboration with the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army has declared Code Purple from 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, through 6 a.m. Monday, Jan. 25. Here is the schedule:
- 3-8:30 p.m. Friday: Friendship House winter sanctuary, 720 N. Orange St., Wilmington
- 9 p.m. Friday-6 a.m. Saturday: Salvation Army Overnight Shelter, Fifth and Orange streets
- 5:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Saturday: Friendship House winter sanctuary, 720 N. Orange St., Wilmington
- 9 p.m. Saturday-6 a.m. Sunday: Salvation Army Overnight Shelter, Fifth and Orange streets
- 5:30-8 a.m. Sunday: If the storm closes the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew at 7200 N. Orange St., Friendship House will keep people at 720 N. Orange St. If the storm isn’t as significant as expected, Friendship House will open its normal Sunday sanctuary at 10th and Adams streets.
- Noon-8:30 p.m. Sunday: Friendship House winter sanctuary, 720 N. Orange St., Wilmington
- 9 p.m. Sunday-6 a.m. Monday: Salvation Army Overnight Shelter, Fifth and Orange streets
- 5:30 a.m.-noon Monday: Friendship House Day Center at 226 N. Walnut St.
Newark: Friendship House will open its Code Purple sanctuary beginning at 6 p.m. Friday and keep it open through the duration of the storm in church space provided by eight different Newark faith communities on a rotating basis. People who are homeless must register at the Newark Empowerment Center at 69 E. Main St. on Friday. The Newark shelter is already operating at capacity, so any individuals who cannot be accommodated in Newark will be provided transportation to Wilmington.
KENT COUNTY
Code Purple is in effect through Tuesday, Jan. 26, with extended hours in anticipation of the storm from 5 p.m. Friday until Monday morning. The Code Purple status can be determined by calling 1-800-733-6816 to listen to a pre-recorded message, which is updated frequently, and will identify Code Purple sites that are open in Kent County. The schedule:
Friday, Jan. 22 through morning of Monday, Jan. 25
- Dover Presbyterian Church, 54 S. State St., Dover (entrance is on Reed Street), (men only)
- Dover Interfaith Mission, 684 Forest St., Dover (men only)
- Centennial United Methodist Church, 44 E. Mount Vernon St., Smyrna, opens at 5 p.m. (men only)
- Milford Community Center, 105 N.E. Front St., Milford, opens at 5 p.m. (women and children)
- Christ Church, 523 S. State St., Dover, opens at 5 p.m. (women and children)
- Smyrna Wesleyan Church, 433 W. Commerce St., opens at 5 p.m. (women and children)
Monday, Jan. 25
- Dover Presbyterian Church, 54 S. State St., Dover (entrance is on Reed Street), opens at 5 p.m. (men only)
- Centennial United Methodist Church, 44 E. Mount Vernon St., Smyrna, opens at 5 p.m. (men only)
- Milford Community Center, 105 N.E. Front St., Milford, opens at 5 p.m. (women and children)
- Calvary Baptist Church, Fulton and New streets, Dover, opens at 5 p.m. (women and children)
Tuesday, Jan. 26
- Dover Presbyterian Church, 54 S. State St., Dover (entrance is on Reed Street), opens at 5 p.m. (men only)
- Centennial United Methodist Church, 44 E. Mount Vernon St., Smyrna, opens at 5 p.m. (men only)
- Milford Community Center, 105 N.E. Front St., Milford, opens at 5 p.m. (women and children)
- Calvary Baptist Church, Fulton and New streets, Dover, opens at 5 p.m. (women and children)
SUSSEX COUNTY
All Code Purple shelters in Sussex County will be open during the storm and, in some cases, beyond. Eastern Sussex operates cold-weather shelters that remain open until spring regardless of the temperature. For updates in Western Sussex, call the hotline at 302-519-0024 or emailsussexcodepurple@gmail.com.
- Western Sussex: On Friday, Jan. 22, people in need of shelter must meet at Hardin Hall, 18 W. Fourth St., Blades, by 7 p.m. for intake and dinner. After dinner, female guests and children will be transported at 8:30 p.m. to Gateway Fellowship, 8110 Cannon Road, Bridgeville. Male guests will be transported to Laurel Nazarene, 94 Walnut St., Laurel. If snowed in, guests will stay at each site for the duration of the weekend. Centenary UMC, 200 Market St., Laurel, will also be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, serving lunch, coffee and snacks. Any volunteers who can assist with transportation of guests should call Vikki at 302-853-0997. Note: Pathways Shelter, Stein Highway Church of God, 425 E. Stein Highway, Seaford, will be closed Friday, Jan. 22 and Saturday, Jan. 23.
- Central Sussex: Milford Community Center, 105 N.E. Front St., Milford. Sanctuary for women and children only. This shelter is available to people in Kent or Sussex. Call 302-725-0770. 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. Sanctuary is open for extreme weather, but you must call ahead because of limited availability.
- Eastern Sussex: Shelters are open and will remain open until spring, regardless of the temperature. Immanuel Shelter, 37439 Oyster House Road, Rehoboth Beach. Open seven days from 4:30 p.m.-7:30 a.m. Serving men and women. Uses both Conley’s Chapel and Faith UMC Fellowship for Code Purple. Call to verify location at 1-888-634-9992. Soul Ministry, Bethany Beach. Sanctuary operates daily for men and women with support from Christian Community of Churches. 302-632-4289. Day Center: Rehoboth Community Resource Center (CRC) is open to people who are homeless during the day. 302-227-1340.
