Delaware County Declares Disaster Emergency Ahead of Winter Storm Fern

Major snowfall and low temperatures expected, County Council urges caution

Media, PA — Delaware County has declared a disaster emergency for seven days effective January 23 in anticipation of Winter Storm Fern. The declaration comes at the direction of the Delaware County Council, in consultation with the Delaware County Department of Emergency Services, which has determined that the storm threatens to cause injury, damage, and suffering to the persons and property of Delaware County.

“I urge residents to stay safe, check in on neighbors and loved ones, and listen to the advice of local first responders and winter weather experts,” said Delaware County Council Chair Richard Womack. “Please avoid unnecessary travel, particularly during the peak of the storm and ensure that you have enough essentials to last several days in case travel becomes difficult.”

The declaration directs the Delaware County Emergency Management Coordinator to coordinate the activities of the emergency response, to take all appropriate action needed to alleviate the effects of this disaster, to aid in the restoration of essential public services, and to take any other emergency response action deemed necessary to respond to this emergency.

Delaware County encourages all residents to sign up for Delco Alert, the county’s free emergency notification system that keeps our communities informed, prepared, and safe. Delco Alert delivers essential messages straight to residents’ phones, emails, or landlines. These include Code Blue alerts that trigger the County’s Cold Plan, storm warnings, road closures, health advisories, and municipal service changes.

To sign up, visit delcopa.gov/delcoalert.

To check power outage information, please visit PECO’s outage map.