Delaware Driving Restrictions Shift as Storm Aftermath Leaves Widespread Outages
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency has adjusted statewide travel advisories as crews continue cleanup from a late-winter nor'easter, underscoring fresh disruptions across the state. Delaware Driving Restrictions now show Kent and Sussex moved from a Level 3 driving ban to a Level 2 driving restriction while New Castle County remains at a Level 1 driving warning, actions aimed at balancing safety and the start of recovery work.
Delaware Driving Restrictions — Development details
On Monday, February 23, 2026, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency announced that Kent and Sussex counties were downgraded from a Level 3 driving ban to a Level 2 driving restriction. New Castle County continues under a Level 1 driving warning. The agency, a division within the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, issued the updates to clarify permissible travel as road crews press ahead with removal of snow and debris.
The state advised residents to enroll in email alerts for real-time hazardous weather releases so they can receive future updates when conditions change. The formal change in restriction levels reflects an official action timed to the evolving state of roads and emergency operations.
Context and escalation
The shift in advisories follows a Nor'easter that deposited significant snow across Delaware. New Castle County recorded between 7 and 12 inches of accumulation in many areas overnight into the morning, enabling road crews to mount a strong cleanup effort once the snowfall ended and temperatures stayed near freezing. Conditions in the southern counties were markedly worse: snow totals across Kent and Sussex nearly doubled the amounts seen in New Castle County, producing more downed trees and broader power interruptions.
In parts of New Castle County, video and on-the-ground observations showed toppled trees and lingering outages. Residents in Hockessin described faster post-storm progress than during an earlier January storm, attributing improvement to softer ground and milder temperatures that let crews and residents access streets more readily.
Immediate impact
The storm and ensuing restrictions have had concrete effects on mobility, utilities and recovery operations. Nearly all major roads in New Castle County were reported free of snow or slush after cleanup crews worked through the morning, but downed trees and lingering power outages persisted in neighborhoods including North Wilmington.
Across Delmarva, tens of thousands were without power in the storm’s wake, with the southern counties hardest hit by heavier snowfall and infrastructure damage. The county-level travel advisories are intended to limit nonessential travel while allowing emergency services and utility crews to move and restore service. Local residents responded by clearing driveways and sidewalks; one Hockessin resident noted that this storm felt easier to manage than an earlier, colder event when frozen ground compounded the difficulty of cleanup.
Officials emphasized that the downgrade from a full driving ban to a restriction does not return conditions to normal but reflects an incremental improvement in the ability of crews to operate safely on state roads.
Forward outlook
State authorities have signaled continued monitoring and additional updates as recovery progresses. The emergency management agency encouraged residents to subscribe to email alerts for real-time announcements when news releases are posted. Road crews and utility teams will be the immediate focus of forthcoming operations, with further easing or tightening of travel advisories tied to on-the-ground assessments.
What makes this notable is the clear link between snow totals and operational response: heavier accumulation in Kent and Sussex produced more infrastructure damage and slower restoration timelines, prompting a more measured rollback of restrictions there than in New Castle County. Confirmed next steps are limited to agency monitoring and periodic public updates; no new dates for further restriction changes were announced at the time of the February 23 notice.
