Effects of snowstorm linger

The fallout of the Jan. 6 snowstorm that dumped up to a foot of snow in the area and a lesser weekend storm continued into this week, as plow crews worked to complete clearing the final roads.

The state had 3,000 pieces of snow-removal equipment clearing 14,000 lane miles of roadways across Delaware, according to a news release issued in advance of the storm. They prioritized the main roads, including Routes 1, 13 and 113 and I-95 before moving on the secondary roads.

“We’re responsible for 4,000 lane miles in Sussex County,” said C.R. McLeod, director of community relations for Delaware Department of Transportation. “It’s a lot to cover.”

State plow crews arrived for work the night of Jan. 5, and were dispatched early the next morning, McLeod said. They were not able to reach the local roads until Jan. 8, and the subdivisions until the next day.

Continuing cold weather that delayed snow melt and blowing snow complicated snow removal after the storm, McCleod said.

Each driver was responsible for clearing 37 lane miles of roads at speeds up to 25 mph, but blowing snow required them to make multiple passes through some areas, preventing them from moving on to additional roads that needed attention, he said. 

Plow truck drivers took their breaks at the DelDOT maintenance building, McLeod said. The first were able to return to their homes Jan. 8, and the others on the following day. Another smaller snowfall sent them back on the roads Jan. 10 night.

Cape Henlopen School District canceled school the entire week Jan. 6-10, then had a two-hour delay Jan. 13, due to continuing poor road conditions, according to the district website. School officials were concerned that snow that melted overnight on roadways and then froze had created hazardous driving conditions in some areas. In addition to the districtwide delay, morning pre-K classes were canceled for the day.

New Castle County received little snow, allowing DelDOT to shift equipment and personnel south to Sussex County to assist with snow removal, McLeod said.

Contractors hired by DelDOT were clearing sidewalks Jan. 13 that had been covered by state road plows along Route 1, and state plow trucks were clearing snow in scattered locations.

With rare significant snowfalls in the state, DelDOT has be prudent in its equipment purchases, deciding how many vehicles it anticipates are needed, and not buying and maintaining vehicles that are not usually needed, McLeod said.

“That’s the overarching challenge,” McLeod said. “We tend not to get large storms. We don’t want to have excess equipment.” 

The cost of a large, fully equipped plow truck used by municipalities can easily top $250,000 each.

The state is also somewhat hampered by a shortage of plow drivers, McLeod said. About 6% of the truck operator jobs are vacant, but that is an improvement in recent years after pay was raised to make the positions more attractive, he said.

Incorporated municipalities, such as Dewey Beach, Lewes, Milton and Rehoboth Beach, maintain their own streets. Housing subdivisions sprouting up across Sussex County typically have homeowners associations that contract for snow removal.  

Mike Peterman, superintendent of the Rehoboth Beach streets department, said his crews got to work about 3 or 4 a.m. the day of the storm, using the seven plow trucks to clear the about 20 miles of streets in the city.

“Some streets are wide and some are narrow, and we have cars to get around,” Peterman said. “We had to make multiple passes.”

They focused initially on the main roads and bridges before clearing the neighborhoods in the early afternoon, he said. The snow fell throughout the day, and it was not until evening that crews had finally finished clearing the streets. They have since been clearing crosswalks and handicapped parking spaces.

A total of 15 employees were involved in the effort when the two work shifts overlapped, Peterman said. Five workers who lived in other communities took advantage of the city’s offer to put them up in a hotel between their work shifts to ensure they could make it back to work. 

Making things more difficult during the storm were the rarity of heavy snows and most of the crews not having experience working in the conditions, Peterman said. 

“It’s probably been two or three years ago since we had that much in Rehoboth,” he said.

A state program begun in the mid-1990s reimburses eligible civic associations, homeowners and maintenance corporations associations for up to 75% of the cost of hiring contractors to clear snowfalls of at least 4 inches, which helps to clear many local roads that are state maintained. 

“It was a long week for our [truck] operators,” McLeod said. “It is not an easy job. We are hopeful we’ve seen the worst of what winter has to offer. But we have a lot of winter yet to go.”