| (Several shelters have been set up throughout the state look past article for info) Updated at 11:24 PM today Action News WILMINGTON, Del. - October 28, 2012 (WPVI) -- Delaware Governor Jack Markell has ordered that no one will be allowed on Delaware roads after 5:00 a.m. Monday except for emergency and essential personnel. The governor's office notified Action News of that order late Sunday night as Hurricane Sandy approached. Markell said it is a 'Level 2 Driving Restriction.' 'Essential personnel' includes those employees necessary to maintain the core functions of government and maintain health and safety by providing utility services, healthcare services, and food and fuel deliveries. In addition, some private employers have received a waiver from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency for essential employees. According to Markell's office, traffic managers say traffic signals will be hard to see because of the sustained wind. At 40 mile per hour winds, DelDOT and other responders are not supposed to be out of their vehicles. At 50 miles per hour, which may be reached Monday afternoon, bridges over the Chesapeake and Delaware canal will close. "People have had several days to be out preparing for the storm's arrival. When Sandy hits on Monday, they should be at home or if necessary a shelter to wait out the worst of the storm," Markell said. ""Do not put yourself on the road. Do not put yourself and those who may need to rescue you at risk." A violation of Level Two driving restriction has a penalty of a fine of up to $115 on first offense, and a fine of up to $200 and up to 30 days in jail for subsequent offenses. The winds and rain had already begun to pick up on Sunday evening. Along Rehoboth Beach and other coastal regions, Gov. Markell ordered a mandatory evacuation for areas of a mile from the shore line. Several businesses have already started boarding up their stores. However all businesses must be shut down by 6:00 Sunday evening. Meanwhile a major highway for people hoping to evacuate southern Delaware coastal communities is closed after ocean water breached sand dunes along the road. Delaware Route 1 was closed in both directions north of the Indian River Inlet Bridge Sunday morning. Despite the closure, Gov. Markell said Sunday afternoon that the evacuation of Delaware's low-lying coastal areas appeared to be going smoothly. Markell has ordered the evacuation of 50,000 coastal residents. The dune breach left officials concerned about the amount of flooding the state will experience when the worst of the storm arrives Monday. House Majority Leader Pete Schwartzkopf, a Democrat who represents the Rehoboth Beach area, says the early flooding "got people's attention." The highway will remain closed indefinitely. Mandatory evacuations are also in effect some residents in Wilmington. It covers the southeast portion of the city bounded by Vandever Avenue, Northeast Boulevard, Church Street, Front Street and South Market Street. On the south, the boundary is the city line just past the South Market Street bridge, and on the east, it's the Delaware River. Several shelters have been set up throughout the state: New Castle County William Penn High School, 713 E. Basin Rd. New Castle pet friendly Medical Shelter Middletown High School 120 Silver Lake Rd. pet friendly Kent County Dover High School 1 Patrick Lynn Drive Dover pet friendly Smyrna Middle School 700 Duck Creek Parkway pet friendly Sussex County Cape Henlopen High School 1250 Kings Highway Lewes pet friendly Medical Shelter Milford Middle School 612 Lakeview Ave. Milford pet friendly Indian River High School 29772 Armory Road Dagsboro NO PETS Residents are asked to call 302-576-CITY for more information. There is more information at the bottom of this page. http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8863176 this I also found information here, there seems to be a lot on Twitter also on this page. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/28/sandy-bringing-life-threatening-storm-surge/ I also found information here. There is a lot of information here. http://www.breakingnews.com/ http://twitter.com/Reuters Their hurricane page. This is their Hurricane section. http://www.breakingnews.com/topic/hurricanes |