Wilmington Prepares For First Winter Storm Of The Season

Press release from the City of Wilmington:

December 15, 2020

Mayor Purzycki says City departments are ready for conditions; Storm will move the collection of recyclables to Friday for East of I-95 and to Saturday for areas west of I-95

Mayor Mike Purzycki said today the City of Wilmington is ready to handle the first major winter storm of the season which is expected to produce between three and six inches of snow between Wednesday morning and Thursday morning. The exact snow total could change depending on the path of the storm which will be a Nor’easter, producing high winds and hazardous walking and driving conditions.

Because of the storm and the anticipated clean-up, the collection of recyclables will be changed to a Friday collection for areas East of I-95 and to Saturday for areas west of I-95. There will be no recyclables collected on Thursday.

“As with past winter storms, all relevant Departments and Offices – Emergency Management, Public Works, Police, Fire, Parks and Recreation, and Licenses and Inspections – are prepared for the storm and will offer a coordinated City response,” Mayor Purzycki said.

Public Works Commissioner Kelly Williams said department crews have begun applying brine to City streets and are ready to plow major arteries before moving on to secondary streets and roads. Fewer people at work and on the road due to COVID-19 will help make the job of the Public Works teams a bit easier in that they will not have to maneuver around as many vehicles.

Mayor Purzycki also offered some basic snowstorm information:

• Storm updates as well as travel restrictions will be posted on the City’s website at www.WilmingtonDE.gov.
• Residents should call 911 for all emergencies.
• Residents should call 311 for any non-emergency storm-related issue or concern.
• Private snow removal contractors are reminded that it is a violation of City law to pile accumulated snow into banks or any other fashion that affects the efficiency of the City’s street plowing operations.
• Citizens are asked to pay special attention to fire hydrants in their community to ensure that hydrants are clear of snow and visible in case of emergency.

Follow the City of Wilmington’s storm-related announcements via the City website at www.WilmingtonDE.gov and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor via #SnowWilmDE. Citizens can also accompany the Department of Public Works’ snow trucks in real time by visiting: http://bit.ly/SnowWilmDE.

This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.