Delaware Declares Level 1 Driving Warning Amid Winter Storm

The **Delaware National Guard** is a state military organization comprising the Delaware Army National Guard and Delaware Air National Guard, serving as the official militia force of Delaware[1]. As the only U.S. military force authorized to function in a state status, it operates under dual federal and state missions established by the U.S. Constitution[1]. **Mission and Operations** The Guard's state mission is to "provide trained and disciplined forces for domestic emergencies or as otherwise provided by state law," while its federal mission involves "providing properly trained and equipped units for prompt mobilization for war, national emergency or as otherwise needed"[1]. The Delaware Army National Guard maintains 15 armories across 12 communities and operates with trained personnel equipped to U.S. Army standards[3]. The Delaware Air National Guard's 166th Airlift Wing, based at New Castle Air National Guard Base, operates C-130H2.5 aircraft and employs over 1,100 personnel, providing tactical airlift, aeromedical evacuation, and cyber operations[4]. **Key Achievements and Current Status** The Guard has demonstrated significant capability in emergency response. During "Operation Arctic Vengeance I and II" in February 2010, over 300 soldiers completed 250 missions supporting state agencies following severe snowstorms[3]. The organization maintains active involvement in counter-narcotics operations, homeland security assessments, and joint terrorism task forces with federal and local law enforcement[2]. **Governance and Support Functions** Delaware National Guard personnel receive comprehensive support through state family programs and can be mobilized by presidential order or gubernatorial declaration during emergencies[3]. The organization participates in critical infrastructure protection, including radiological emergency preparedness for nuclear power facilities, and provides military asset coordination for large-scale regional events[2]. This multi-faceted approach ensures Delaware maintains

The **Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT)**, established in 1917 and headquartered in Dover, is a state agency dedicated to planning, developing, maintaining, and operating Delaware's multimodal transportation system, encompassing roads (nearly 90% of the state's total), rails, buses, airways, waterways, bike trails, and walking paths[2][3][6]. Its mission—"Excellence in Transportation: Every Trip • Every Mode • Every Dollar • Everyone"—drives goals like minimizing fatalities, ensuring reliable access, fiscal accountability, and environmental sustainability[1][3][6]. Historically, DelDOT has evolved from basic road management to a national leader in integrated transportation management since the early 2000s. Key milestones include launching the Transportation Management Teams (TMT) in 2005 for interagency collaboration, developing statewide detour routes, all-hazards evacuation plans, and safe clearance legislation[4]. Achievements encompass the state-of-the-art Transportation Management Center (TMC), co-located with emergency agencies for 24/7 operations, and pioneering AI-driven ITMS for real-time monitoring via cameras, sensors, and flood warnings—advancing toward "Zero Deaths" under the Strategic Highway Safety Plan[4][5]. Currently, DelDOT operates specialized divisions like Maintenance & Operations, Motor Vehicles (handling licenses, registrations, and E-ZPass tolls), and Delaware Transit Corporation[1][2]. It emphasizes **technology integration**, including traffic cameras, connected/autonomous vehicles, real-time bus tracking, and data-sharing with navigation apps, while prioritizing equity, resiliency (e.g., climate-adaptive infrastructure), and public outreach[2][4][5][7]. The DelDOT Dashboard offers performance analytics on roads and bridges[8]. Notably, DelDOT fosters economic growth through congestion relief, complete streets design, and bike/pedestrian programs, balancing safety, innovation, and community needs in

**Code Purple** is a volunteer-driven network of emergency winter shelters across Delaware and nearby regions, providing overnight refuge, hot meals, transportation, and basic support to individuals and families experiencing homelessness during cold weather.[1][2][4] Primarily hosted at churches and community centers, the program activates seasonally—often from December 1 to March 15 in Sussex County, or when temperatures drop below 20°F in New Castle County—to offer safe, warm beds amid harsh conditions like low wind chills or snow.[1][3] Sites are gender-segregated in some areas, such as men's shelters at Avenue United Methodist Church in Milford or Saint Jude's in Rehoboth Beach, and women's at the Church of the Nazarene or Lutheran Church of Our Savior, each with limited beds (e.g., 14 per site).[1][4] Guests receive essentials like water, snacks, toiletries, dry socks, and hygiene items, with the core mission to prevent exposure to deadly winter elements.[1][3][4] Emerging as a grassroots response to gaps in permanent housing, Code Purple has no single founding date but operates county-by-county through lead agencies like Friendship House in New Castle County (partnering with Salvation Army) and local groups in Kent and Sussex.[2][3][4] It underscores community reliance on volunteers, as shelters close without overnight staffing—Milford's 2023-24 male site struggled with just a handful.[1] Achievements include housing up to 150 nightly in Wilmington during peaks and life-saving activations, like three consecutive nights over Christmas, where users like Frances praised the "warm place."[2][3] Currently active annually (e.g., reopening December 1 in Dover and Rehoboth), it faces ongoing volunteer and donation shortages for food, ponchos, and supplies, highlighting broader societal needs amid eviction risks from illness or job loss.[1][4] While not a business or tech entity, it