19″ in Newark, 16″ in Edgmoor, 18″ in Claymont. Sustained winds of 30 mph or more. Power outages everywhere, with reports of over 56,000 in Sussex and Cape May County, and 24,500 from Delmarva. Thundersnow is being reported. Stranded cars on Rt. 7 offramp from 95. Travel has been banned everywhere. If you drive and you are not a police officer, a firefighter, a doctor, or other essential personnel, you not only will be stranded with your life at risk, you will also be arrested.
This Blizzard appears to be much worse than the December storm, and is on par with the Great Blizzard of 96.
Here is the latest from Twitter:
Reminder, DE State of Emergency remains in effect…only essential workers should be traveling
Del Coop. Please fix our electric. 4 kids stuck in house with no electric. I am praying for us all
Latest traffic incident numbers statewide since start of event: 96 disabled vehicles, 3 injury crashes, and 39 prop damage crashes
@WDEL: Shelters are open at Odessa Fire Hall, Sussex Central HS and Dover HS.
DEMA reports two poultry company tractor-trailers have turned sideways on Rt. 24 in Sussex County and are blocking the road.
The tree branch has been wanting fall since the ’94 ice storm. http://twitpic.com/11o6y5
WDEL listener reports she saw 7 or 8 cars stranded on the Rt 7N off-ramp from 95S.
Taking bets on which rooftops are gonna collapse. #delsnow < -- gonna happen ! We have well so no water or heat! No coffee No shower! No TV! Tree limbs touching ground. Crews are on the roads, plowing, and fighting against the snow and the wind. 13 and a half inches in Middletown at 7:20 @del_editor snowfall totals http://bit.ly/bWTuYt #delsnow / wow and we're not done yet! 19 inches so far in Newark. http://twitgoo.com/d8qck #delsnow Yeah, power just came back on in Seaford!!
Here is the latest forecast:
Update: Governor Markell has declared a state of emergency, so no more driving until Sunday. We are now officially trapped indoors. Operation Cabin Fever commences.
Governor Jack Markell declared a State of Emergency covering the entire state of Delaware effective at 8:00 pm today, with vehicles ordered off the roads as of 10 p.m. Conditions are expected to intensify with heavy snowfall and strong winds that will make driving exceptionally dangerous. Given the anticipated strength of this storm, DelDOT crews are expected to concentrate on major arteries for plowing, initially leaving many secondary roads unattended.
As of 10 p.m. tonight and until further notice, the emergency declaration allows only emergency vehicles and essential personnel on the roads until further notice. The Governor will evaluate the conditions of the roads after the storm passes on Saturday morning to determine how long this restriction will remain in place. Private sector businesses are strongly urged to consider the safety of their employees and the restriction of travel during the storm when deciding whether to remain operating. Abandoned vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Follow the Blizzard on Twitter
DEStormInfo on Twitter.
#delsnow.
Here are some other useful links:
Philadelphia Weather Blog
WDEL
KYW
Delaware Online / News Journal
Weather Channel
NOAA / National Weather Service
Weather Underground