DelDOT: Prime Hook Road access available until 8 p.m.

A developing coastal storm threatens to lash Sussex County over the next several days, flooding low-lying areas, particularly in coastal portions of the county, and making some roads impassable to residents.

DelDOT is providing residents of Prime Hook Road access to their homes' access to Prime Hook Road through the Back Bay Cove Development will be closed to residents at 8 p.m. this evening and will remain closed through the duration of the coastal weather system affecting our region. DelDOT is asking residents for their cooperation, as this is a serious weather situation and is not to be taken lightly.
Broadkill Road, State Route 16, is also subject to flooding, and residents are urged to make plans accordingly, including evacuation.

DelDOT also says motorists should use caution in the northbound lanes north of Indian River Inlet bridge, where there is sand on the roadway. A storm system moving up the East Coast, fueled in part by the remnants of Tropical Storm Karen, is expected to interact with high pressure to the north and then stall, sending waves, wind and rain ashore through at least Friday, Oct. 11. Wind-driven high tides, however, could last well into the weekend, causing flooding and potentially cutting off access to some low-lying areas.
Forecasters expect the storm’s most significant effects to be minor to moderate flooding, beach erosion, 30 to 40 mph winds, and up to four inches of rain.
While no evacuations have been ordered, residents in communities along the Delaware Bay, including Prime Hook and Broadkill Beach, as well as around the Inland Bays, particularly Angola and Oak Orchard, should be mindful of the forecasts and prepare to move to higher ground, if necessary. Strong easterly and northeasterly winds over the next 48 to 72 hours will push water ashore and into these flood-prone areas.
Emergency officials urge the public to be prepared and to monitor local forecasts for any changes or updates. Residents in low-lying areas should act now by moving vehicles, clearing storm drains, and checking submersible pumps.

For updates, stay tuned to local media outlets, the Sussex County EOC Web site, www.sussexcountyde.gov/services/storm, and be sure to follow the County’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, www.facebook.com/SussexCountyDE, www.twitter.com/sussex_pio and www.twitter.com/SussexCtyDE_EOC.T