Hurricane Sandy: Coastal Evacuation Ordered

I have nowhere to go and with a storm this huge is there anywhere to run to that's out of harm's way? I don't think so. This is the latest from our local newspaper, The Cape Gazette:

Gov. Jack Markell has ordered mandatory evacuation of coastal communities in Sussex, Kent and New Castle counties. The evacuation begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, and is to be complete by 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28.

Everyone within three-quarters of a mile of the ocean and the Delaware Bay is expected to evacuate by 8 p.m. Sunday. Everyone living in low-lying areas or places that have flooded in previous storms is urged to evacuate.

The governor issued a limited state of emergency, which does not include a ban on driving and does not require businesses to close. Officials estimated as many as 50,000 people will evacuate. Suggested routes and other information are expected to be posted at delaware.gov.
A shelter for the Cape Region at Cape Henlopen High School will open at noon Sunday, Oct. 28.

Rehoboth Beach officials say Sea Witch activities planned for Sunday have been cancelled.
Markell urged the public to take the evacuation order seriously. "We are going to be a lot more successful if people listen to these evacuation orders," he said. "It's likely power is going to be lost. The bay communities will almost certainly be cut off. It will not be possible for first responders to evacuate them."

Officials emphasized the storm is very large and slow moving and could dump as much as 10 inches of rain on the Cape Region over the next few days. Heavy rain and winds as high as 60 mph are expected to down trees and power lines; workers will not be able to begin repairing the lines as long as winds exceed 45 mph.

"As wet as the ground is going to be, you could be out of power for a long time," said Director of Delaware Emergency Management Agency Jamie Turner. "I can assure you it's gonna be something a lot of people have never had an opportunity to see in Delaware."

Well, I am sure they are right about that last sentence.

The rest of the story is HERE.

And so it goes.
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