Delaware prepares for looming snow storm

As the possibility of a snow storm Friday and Saturday threatens the tri-state area, Delaware is preparing its residents.

The Delaware Department of Transportation will salt roads and plow snow throughout the state—and residents will know the trucks’ exact location.

“Across the agency people are making sure that all of the equipment is ready to go, that we’re fully stocked with materials,” said Jim Westhoff, a spokesman for DelDOT.

“We need everything from salt to windshield wiper blades. In addition, we’re working with the National Weather Service to get the very best forecast that we can.”

DelDOT also has launched the Snow Plow Tracker feature on its app, which shows users the trucks’ whereabouts.

“The public will be able to see in real-time the locations of all the snow plows, whether they’re plowing snow or applying salt,” Westhoff said. “This helps the public understand how we are allocating our resources.”

The DelDOT app has been in place for a couple years, and is designed for the public to easily learn about road conditions and what’s being done to clear the roads, he said.

DelDOT has more than 30 live traffic cameras, so the public can look at traffic situations all across the state.

“The more information we give to people the less likely they will be on the road and get in a dangerous situation,” Westhoff said.

DelDOT advises the public to have winter emergency kits in their vehicles, including extra blankets, flash lights and batteries, and in their homes, including flash lights and water to drink.

“Do these things today or tomorrow, that way you won’t have a problem with either being sold out at the store,” he said.