Summer storm causes damage, cellphone trouble
A strong line of storms moved the region Tuesday night, leaving cellular users unable to call 911 in the Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland area.
63,000 Delmarva Power customers in Delaware and Maryland were left in the dark at the height of the storm. Power crews worked through the night to restore electric service. As of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, about 26,500 customers were still in the dark. You can find an update map of outages at Delmarva.com.
The bigger problem is for Verizon’s cellphone customers. Because of some storm damage, Verizon users are unable to make calls from their cell phones to landlines. That’s especially worrisome for calls to 911 made from Verizon cellphones. New Castle County Police issued a statement warning residents of the communication interruption:
The New Castle County Communications Division is urging any citizen having this problem to seek alternate means of communication in the event of an emergency. The cell phone carrier is aware of the problem and the division hopes that normal communications will be restored in the near future.
It’s not clear how soon the problem will be corrected.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
Delaware faces persistent health disparities, particularly for Black maternal health
Health disparities for Black maternity remain a challenge in Delaware. Advocates say the problem stems from systemic racism, implicit bias and injustice.
3 hours ago
Listen 1:32
Jasdomin Santana champions diversity in children's literature by incorporating Dominican culture into her storytelling.
3 days ago
Listen 1:18
White House forum showcases federal dollars working in Delaware
President Biden addressed the Delaware delegation at the beginning of the event in what White House personnel said was a surprise visit.
6 days ago
Listen 2:08