SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- Weeks after a deadly tornado shook Western Sussex County, Delaware Emergency Management is reflecting on its response and a failure of the alert system.
Many people were shocked when they did not receive a warning amid the tornado. DEMA said, normally, Smart 911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts are sent out as part of the federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System operated by the National Weather Service.
After investigation, NWS found the lack of some alerts was due to a server error. DEMA's Director, A.J. Schall, said DEMA and the NWS are working toward a solution.
"I am not going to make an excuse. I am not going to pass the blame. We know who is responsible for those [alerts] and we will leave it at that. We will make sure the weather service fixes it and that it doesn't happen again," he said.
Many people are still facing thousands of dollars of damage to their homes and property. Despite help from volunteers, many of them are facing severe damage and out-of-pocket costs. Claudia Miller said she feels dread as she looks out at her backyard that is filled with debris.
"We have hundreds of trees down and no real solution as to how we are going to remove them," she said.
Weeks ago, Delaware Emergency Management announced partnerships for ongoing relief.
Those directly affected by the disaster who need help were directed Delaware 211, an emergency resource center powered by United Way of Delaware. DEMA said , callers will be matched with assistance from an appropriate agency or organization to address both short-term and long-term unmet needs.
"Nobody's recovery is the same. It's not a cookie cutter approach. The recovery for some one cleaning up some downed trees is going to be different from somebody to has to rebuild their house," DEMA Director A.J. Schall said.
When Tony Gerdes called for debris cleanup, he said he was never given a call back with assistance.
"If we aren't going to be getting help, let me know. The pretense of support being provided [with] the governor making an appearance led people to believe [it was on the way,] he said.
In an interview with WRDE, Director Schall said the 211 system was setup to assess the community needs, and not every person would be assisted in full.
"We will explain that better next time. Not everyone is going to get a call back. Everyone is not going to be able to be given an explanation," he said.
DEMA invites people to make a financial contribution to the “Care4Sussex” Campaign by United Way of Delaware by visiting: https://uwde.org/sussex Those interested in volunteering their time can visit the United Way volunteer portal at bit.ly/Care4Sussex
