Delaware digs out from blizzard mess

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Under blue skies and bright sun, Delawareans on Sunday dug out from the historic blizzard that paralyzed much of the East Coast, with waist-high snowbanks in the northern part of the state and heavy flooding and beach erosion in southern resort communities.

Statewide, schools and some government offices are closed Monday, and many roads remain messy and impassable as the region works to recover from the weekend weather.

"There is bound to be ice on the secondary roads. Despite our best efforts, there is still slush and that will be ice,"  said Jim Westhoff, an official for the Delaware Department of Transportation, which had crews working around-the-clock handling the massive amount of snow left in the blizzard's wake.

Weather data made available Sunday shows the storm brought the most snowfall in the northern and central parts of the state, with Woodside in Kent County having the highest amount in Delaware -- 16.2 inches of snow over the course of two days.

Delmarva Power also reported that 48,000 customers had lost electricity at various times during the storm, and state police responded to 178 crashes, 22 with injuries, and rescued 354 disabled vehicles.

The weather system also resulted in one death in the state. Magnolia resident Vernon Alston, 44, had a massive heart attack while shoveling snow Saturday afternoon. The married father was a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Capitol Police in Washington.

Southern areas were hit with heavy winds, at Dewey Beach topping 75 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Floodwaters also battered parts of southern Delaware on Saturday, with some comparing the unprecedented flooding to Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Saturday morning's high tide at Lewes Breakwater Harbor was, according to preliminary data, the second highest on record. About 50 people were evacuated by the Delaware National Guard from the flood-prone Oak Orchard area.

At Rehoboth Beach, the sand was at least an inch thick on the Boardwalk at Rehoboth Avenue, and hundreds of people came to look at the damage.

"I think it's absolutely astounding – just the destruction of the dunes," said Don Burdick, who came from his house Millsboro, where the storm deposited tree limbs, branches and other debris on his property.

"There's just 20,000 or a billion sticks in our yard," he said.

Gov. Jack Markell on Sunday toured the state in a National Guard helicopter, and state officials will assess coastal damage to determine whether to seek a federal disaster declaration. If approved by President Barack Obama, federal dollars would be available to help with the cost of storm cleanup and repairs.

Maryanne Sylbin of Glasgow spent Sunday watching her kids playing in her front yard, hugging herself for warmth despite the big coat she was wearing. After a mostly mild winter, she said, this was a shock to her system.

"We go the whole winter without any snow, and then it's like all of that snow we didn't have comes down at once," she said.

Sylbin was happy that schools canceled. A stay-at-home mother, she had no problem with a long weekend with her children.

"They were really sad that we weren't having any snow," she said. "It looks like they'll have plenty to play with for a while!"

Vincent Kang, 39, and Hongwei Yang, 40, of Dover, couldn't wait to head outside in the snow Sunday, which had mild temperatures and sunny skies.

"Everything is beautiful after snow," Kang said as he delicately rolled a snowball in his gloved hands.

Cars slowly trudged through Dover's downtown as plows worked to clear the walkways around state buildings and downtown businesses. City officials said Saturday they'd be working to clear the surrounding neighborhoods as well. 

Yang and Kang were going a bit stir-crazy with the strong winds Saturday, so they welcomed the Sunday evening walk as the sun slowly began to set.

"It's a blessing today is not cold," Yang said.

Kang, born in northern China, is used to snow and said he actually wanted Dover to get more than its 11 inches.

"I was hoping for 2 feet of snow," he said.

Josh Hill, a Middletown resident for nearly six years, spent more than five hours digging his way out of his Estates at Saint Annes neighborhood.

Though he estimated small plows belonging to neighborhood developers came through maybe once or twice after the storm, Hill said they did little at moving the 2½ feet of drifted snow in the roadways. Instead, he and a neighbor spent the morning and much of the afternoon clearing driveways and opening a route to the end of their street.

“It’s been a long day,” he said.

Hill knew it was bad when his four-wheel-drive vehicle couldn’t get through the snow Sunday morning. He credited nearby residents with helping out.

“The positive side is that we've got a lot of great neighbors,” Hill said. “We helped neighbors get unstuck, and everyone pitched in to help each other out.”

For many, the weekend timing of the storm was beneficial, allowing for plenty of time to dig out and relax inside.

Wilmington resident Bridgette Spencer said the snow was an excellent excuse to focus on being with family.

"It was just nice not having to go anywhere," Spencer said. "I found it luxurious."

Spencer was shoveling snow from the Triangle neighborhood sidewalk in front of her house as her two sons threw snowballs in the front yard.

"The snow slows down the pace of life and the bustle of the city. It gives you more time just to talk to your family," said Bridgette's husband, Scott.

Tell us about the roads, Delaware

A long line also formed at the top of the hill leading into Brandywine Park in Wilmington, where residents of all ages clutched snowboards, cardboard boxes, dinnerware and just about anything else that could serve as a sled, taking turns careening down the icy hill into the park.

"I love it. I'm a big kid. I love the snow. The timing is perfect. When else can you do this and not feel guilty?" said Karen Johnson as her son prepared to take the plunge.

Evan Williams saw the blizzard as an opportunity to make money outdoors.

He and a friend spent Sunday winding through neighborhoods along Del. 141 near New Castle in search of snow-covered driveways and
homeowners unwilling to tackle the task themselves.

Williams left his house around 7:30 a.m. and spent the day shoveling driveways and pushing stuck vehicles out of the snow in Chelsea Estates and Penn Acres South. The pay was worth it, he said.

The duo charged about $30 to $50 per driveway – a rate that depends on the size, number of parked cars and height of the snow drifts. The most challenging part is the heaps of snow piled up by snowplows in front of driveways.

“That can take a half hour alone,” Williams said. “But I’m not trying to charge anybody a lot. I do honest prices.”

By 4 p.m., Williams walked along Del.141 toward Pat’s Pizzeria in hope of finding dinner and a place to relax.

“It’s time for warm food now,” he said.

Record flooding, blizzard conditions batter Delaware

DelDOT hopes to make roads passable by Monday

Snowbanks are concern

While the snowfall totals were not record-breaking in Delaware, the 31 inches of snowfall observed in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was more than any other two-day period on record for the area, according to the weather service. Philadelphia's 22 inches of snow from the blizzard equals what the city sees throughout an average winter season.

Most schools also canceled classes Monday, and various government offices will be closed. DART and SEPTA also will operate on reduced schedules, and various delays are anticipated at Philadelphia International Airport.

Markell on Sunday night lifted a travel ban that was imposed during the blizzard. Westhoff, the DelDOT official, said they anticipate having most secondary roads statewide cleared by Monday morning. He said there are some larger snow drifts that won't be removed until later in the week.

While many roads have been cleared, temperatures dipping into the teens Monday morning will lead to the leftover slush turning to hazardous ice, he said.

In Wilmington, a driving ban remained in place until late Sunday night, with many city streets still layered with snow as high banks of snow-turned-ice entombing parked cars.

"The backstreets in Wilmington are horrible right now," said Sussex County resident Shawn Emhe, who weathered the storm in Wilmington to spend time with his granddaughter. "I've drove around to Pike Creek and other places, and I can tell you Wilmington is really bad."

The scene outside Kevin Clark's home in Wilmington Sunday was a common one around the city. Clark was gunning the throttle of his two-door hatchback as friend Geoff Matheson attempted to push the marooned car onto a more packed snowbed in the center of the street.

"The side streets are really crazy right now," Matheson said. "It is a mess out here."

News Journal reporters Molly Murray, Jen Rini and Matthew Albright contributed to this report.

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.