Our Towns

A coastal flood watch has been issued for Sussex County, including the beach areas, running through at least Monday afternoon. According to the National Weather Service, the evolution of Hurricane Sandy into a powerful storm currently predicted to cross the New Jersey coast Monday evening will mean at least two tide cycles of potentially moderate to major flooding.

The Delaware state climatologist and DEMA held a “bridge call” with municipal officials on Friday evening, in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy. Officials said that the latest storm track had Sandy making landfall on the Delaware coastline around Cape Henlopen, likely sometime early Tuesday morning.

As of Friday evening, Hurricane Sandy was on track to directly hit Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic in the days ahead, based on forecasts, threatening to lash the region with up to two days’ worth of hurricane-force winds, a 10-foot-high combined surge and tide, and torrential rains that could measure as much as a foot deep in some places.

Take Saturday to prepare, advised Gov. Jack Markell, in light of expected high winds and heavy rain from Hurricane Sandy from Sunday through the early part of next week.

“It is forecasted to be a long-lasting event,” he said on Friday, noting that rain, wind and flooding likely. “The duration is what we are most concerned about.”

UPDATED Sunday, Oct. 28, 11:30 a.m.
Cancellations due to Hurricane Sandy include the following:

Both the Indian River School District and Sussex Technical School District have closed schools and offices on Monday, Oct. 29, and Tuesday, Oct. 31.

All University of Delaware classes are suspended Monday, Oct. 29, and officials were strongly encouraging students to go home.

Delaware Senate District 20 candidate Rick Eakle (D) on Friday asked his fellow Sussex County candidates in the Nov. 6 elections to put aside their political differences ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Sandy and gather to plan together ways they can help coastal residents weather the storm.

State and local emergency officials are urging residents of coastal Delaware to be alert and prepare as Hurricane Sandy tracks up the Atlantic in the coming days and poses a risk of potential severe weather, up to and including possibly making landfall in the immediate area.

Earlier this week, the Town of Ocean View, along with state officials, dedicated the town’s solar carport.
“Sunny days are more important than ever to Ocean View today,” said Ocean View Mayor Gordon Wood. “An old English proverb goes, ‘Make hay while the sun shines.’ Well, our hay with the new solar array is the about $50 a day we will earn from kilowatt hours produced on a sunny day.”

The Town of Ocean View held a special meeting this week at which they unanimously approved the total amount of funds budgeted for compensation adjustments for salaries of all employees, in accordance with the salary structure they had previously approved.

There is still no decision from the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission regarding the proposed Castaways Bethany LLC mixed-use project. At their Oct. 11 meeting, Commission Chairman Robert Wheatley did say that a recommendation to the county council would be forthcoming and added that it would “be fair to say we won’t come back until we are ready to act.” He explained that they have to make a recommendation within 45 days from Oct. 5, when the record closed.