Help is available for Delaware residents cleaning up from last week's storm

Molly McVety, Delaware News Journal
·4 min read

One week after severe thunderstorms blew through Delaware downing trees, damaging homes and leaving thousands without power, new resources are available to help with recovery efforts.

By August 11, Delmarva Power had restored power to over 99% of its customers impacted by the storms, leaving less than 20 customers in the county without power. According to New Castle County, between six and eight homes that were damaged will be able to be restored.

A fallen tree splits a house in half after a severe storm hits Cherokee Woods in Brookside, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023.
A fallen tree splits a house in half after a severe storm hits Cherokee Woods in Brookside, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023.

In last week's storm, wind gusts reached up to 110 mph near the Hockessin area, causing extensive tree and property damage, some of which left homes uninhabitable. As many as 37,000 customers lost power, mostly concentrated in New Castle County's Brookside, Ogletown and Hockessin areas.

Even as cleanup continues, more bad weather could be headed our way. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Tuesday until 9:00 p.m. tonight throughout Delaware and parts of New Jersey and Maryland

Relief hotlines in place

Workers cut down and remove fallen trees in Cherokee Woods in Ogletown, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, after a severe storm hit the day before.
Workers cut down and remove fallen trees in Cherokee Woods in Ogletown, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, after a severe storm hit the day before.

New Castle County is partnering with the non-profit group Crisis Cleanup, which connects volunteers with residents in need.

Property owners in need of assistance with fallen trees or other storm damage related issues can call 302-219-6825 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. between now and Friday, Aug. 18. The hotline will re-open the following week from Aug 21 to Aug 25.

Delaware storm: She narrowly missed being hit by tree that came through her bedroom window in Monday storm

Callers will need to provide their name, address, contact number and the assistance they require. Some of the services provided are:

  • Removal of hazardous tree branches or limbs that may fall

  • Moving fallen limbs and branches from the yard to the curb

  • Removing tree debris from the curb

  • Moving debris or trash to donated dumpsters

Services are free, but not guaranteed. Some requests will have to be evaluated depending on the resources at hand. Since Crisis Cleanup is a volunteer organization, it is recommended that homeowners should try and clean as much debris as they are able to before calling.

Any individual or organization interested in volunteering can register at this link.

Power outage: Is your power out from Monday's storm? Where power outages are and repair efforts

DelDOT has resolved most of the road closures that occurred due to fallen trees, but if there is still a road that is blocked call the DelDOT Transportation Management Center at 302-659-4600.

The County's Office of Emergency Management and the state's Solid Waste Authority are also offering assistance with landfill fees for individual properties or contractors and can be reached at 302-395-2700.

Community cleanup efforts

Workers cut down and remove fallen trees in Cherokee Woods in Ogletown, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, after a severe storm hit the day before.
Workers cut down and remove fallen trees in Cherokee Woods in Ogletown, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, after a severe storm hit the day before.

Local nonprofits have banded together to assist individuals impacted by the storms.

The Food Bank of Delaware and the United Way held a drive-thru food distribution event Monday morning. According to Kim Turner, communications director at the Food Bank of Delaware, 70 people were assisted and 4,151 pounds of food were distributed.

The United Way of Delaware is also hosting a volunteer cleanup event on Aug 16. Interested volunteers can register here.

This weekend, the Polly Drummond Yard Waste Site located at 111 Polly Drummond Hill Rd in Newark, will be accepting homeowner yard waste such as branches that are less than four inches in diameter.

If there is debris that is too large to dispose of, property owners can call a local waste hauler company to remove any additional items.

According to New Castle County, efforts are still being coordinated to use fallen trees and other debris for firewood or other businesses to reduce the reliance on landfills.

If additional assistance is required through insurance, check this story about how to navigate the claims process. Make sure to contact your insurance provider as soon as possible and keep track of all damage to your property by taking plenty of photos and videos.

More help: Tips for dealing with insurance following Delaware's tornado and storm damage

Contact Molly McVety at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Storm relief efforts underway from New Castle County and nonprofits