DOVER, DE- Preparations are underway in Kent County, Delaware, ahead of a snowy weekend, with snow expected late Saturday into Sunday. Crews across the county are gearing up, while neighbors are heading out early to grab essential supplies and stay one step ahead of the storm.
In Dover, plows are being readied, and salt barns are stocked, while city and county crews finalize their winter plans and stand ready to respond as conditions change.
Mark Nowak of Dover Public Works says crews have been busy all day, working to stay one step ahead of the storm and prepare for what's ahead.
"Today we're just total prep — making sure everything's ready. We've got everything here at the yard, ready to go whenever we need to use it."
Nowak says the city's storm plan is set, and Dover crews will be on the clock this weekend, long before most neighbors even wake up.
"Saturday starting midnight, Sunday morning, we're going to have staff on duty to monitor the snow and have salt ready to go. Around 7 a.m., we'll bring in streets and stormwater crews to do what's necessary."
Nowak says Dover crews plow neighborhoods only after four inches of snow have fallen, with extra teams on standby to respond as needed.
"We'll be out there. We'll have personnel on duty at midnight Saturday night and will have it covered through Sunday if necessary. And if we have to go further, we will."
Over at Kent County Public Safety, Director John Tinger says the biggest concern isn't the amount of snow — it's what happens after it lands.
"The amount of snow is not really concerning. It's about three inches, which is the maximum. We can see what our concern is, the drop in the temperatures and that things are going to freeze after all the snow, making conditions much worse."
Tinger says the emergency alert systems have already been tested to make sure residents stay informed during the storm.
"Kent County-wide, we've tested our Rave alert system, which is a part of the Delaware Emergency Notification System, so that if there are any impacts, we could send out those mass emails and notifications to everyone."
Despite many neighbors planning to finish holiday shopping this weekend, Tinger is urging drivers to stay off the roads if possible, as slippery conditions are expected with dropping temperatures.
"If you don't need to be on the roads, please stay home. It allows daylight to clear the roads so emergency vehicles can get where they need to go."
But crews aren't the only ones prepping for the weekend.
Over at Felton Hardware, it was far from calm before the storm, as neighbors stocked up nonstop on shovels, salt bags, and propane tanks.
Alex Donovan, the store's owner, says it's been busy all day, with items flying off the shelves.
"Now that we've seen snow in the forecast, everybody panic-buys just a little bit. Bread, milk and eggs at the grocery stores — and here it's propane, salt, snow shovels."
With snow expected late Saturday into Sunday, crews and stores say they're ready for whatever the storm brings.
