On Thursday, Sept. 2 at 10:15 p.m., Delaware Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Roseanne Pack issued a report that Hurricane Earl is weakening as it approaches North Carolina. The hurricane is projected to be approximately 150 miles off the Delaware coast by late Friday morning to early Friday afternoon, with winds along the coast at Tropical Storm force, 39 mph and up, with gusts up to 45-50 mph. The forecast for inland areas is for winds of 25-30 mph with light rain.
Winds will decrease signficantly inland, 25-30 mph, dropping steadily into the afternoon and early evening.
Earl is not carrying much rain and coastal regions may only get as much as 2 inches, while inland areas may receive 1/2 to 1 inch.
The relatively short duration of the storm will reduce the chances of tidal flooding and beach erosion, Pack said.
Plans if conditions worsen
State and local emergency management agencies and partners have continguency plans if needed, Pack said. Emergency operations centers are not staffed over night, but can call in staff if needed. The state EOC and Sussex EOC will have early operations shift in before regular hours when full staff will report. Counties that do not expect to be significantly affected have support personnel ready to assist Sussex County or coastal communities if needed.
Red Cross has staffing to establish a shelter in Sussex within 30 to 45 minutes of notification. Delaware State Police have already begun heavier staffing for holiday weekend and what ever it brings.
DelDOT has staff on-call to report in if needed before regular morning hours. Resources are at Gravel Hill yard where staging will take place if needed. Portable Variable Message Signs are positioned at strategic points along potential evacuation routes for use if needed.
DNREC Parks Division gave campers at coastal campgrounds options to move to inland state camp grounds until the storm passes. Most tent campers took advantage of that.
Coastal towns and fire companies have conducted conference calls with Sussex Emergency Operations Center to discuss needs, resources and coordinated responses.
And, everyone hopes none of the plans have to be enacted.
Waves will remain high and surf rough for the next few days and rip currents will be common. Those visiting the beaches must be aware of and respect directions and restrictions imposed at beaches. No one should swim at unguarded beaches during day light or after dark.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
According the National Weather Service at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 2, a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch remain in effect for the Delaware beaches and inland Sussex County as Hurricane Earl spins up the East Coast.
A tropical storm warning continues for the lower Delaware Bay south of Slaughter Beach and the Chesapeake Bay south of New Point Comfort.
At 5 p.m., the center of Hurricane Earl was located about 460 miles south of Dover, moving north at 18 mph. Winds were estimated at 115 mph.
The hurricane is expected to bring rough seas and high surf to the Delaware beaches as it passes east of the Delaware coast Friday afternoon.
The forecast for the Smyrna area on Friday calls for windy conditions, with little if any rain expected.
