NWS Confirms Tornado in New Castle County, Delaware Causing Damage

A confirmed tornado struck New Castle County, Delaware, on Thursday afternoon, causing property damage and triggering widespread severe weather across the Philadelphia region.

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly confirmed the tornado hit Delaware after a line of severe thunderstorms with embedded supercells moved through the area. While the agency has confirmed the touchdown in New Castle County, it is still investigating whether a second tornado likely touched down in Burlington County, New Jersey, CBS News reported.

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“I thought it was someone else’s car, like a Honda. It hurts bad, and I want Lexus to know that I want a new Lexus,” said April, a woman whose vehicle was crushed in Newark, Delaware, according to CBS News Philadelphia.

The storm’s impact in Newark was centered near the Sonesta ES Suites Wilmington/Newark on Chapman Avenue. A sign at the hotel tipped over and fell onto two parked cars, one of which belonged to April. She was working on the second floor of the hotel when she heard a “boom” and noted she was grateful she was not inside the vehicle at the time.

Video captures tornado touching down in New Castle County, Delaware — FOX 5 Washington DC

Beyond the damage to vehicles, the storm system downed trees, fences, and power lines throughout the region. Emily Schneider, who was staying at the Sonesta while visiting her daughter at the University of Delaware, described the experience while eating at a nearby restaurant.

“It was crazy, especially since we know we were parked here last night and it was a couple of spaces down from where we are parked right now,” Schneider told CBS News Philadelphia. She said that while they initially saw an uprooted tree and thought it might be a downed power line, they did not realize a tornado had passed through until they saw the news.

NWS Confirms Tornado in New Castle County, Delaware Causing Damage

While the tornado caused concentrated destruction, the broader storm system brought varied and intense weather conditions to the Delaware Valley. In Parkside Borough, Delaware County, a severe thunderstorm produced approximately 19 inches of hail, according to the local police department. Crews cleared a stretch of Edgmont Avenue, from West Forestview Road to Upland Road, to allow travel.

It remains unclear whether the tornado or the accompanying severe thunderstorms resulted in any injuries, according to CBS News.