Cleanup Underway After Tornado Tears Through Dover, Delaware

Cleanup Underway After Tornado Tears Through Dover, Delaware

Cleanup efforts were underway Friday after a tornado tore through Dover, Delaware, damaging buildings, knocking down trees and power lines, and leaving flooded roadways in its wake.

The storm moved through the state capital Thursday evening, with significant damage reported along North DuPont Highway. The Days Inn and Superlodge were among the properties hit, with video showing debris flying through the air and a roof being ripped from a building.

Dover officials declared a state of emergency as crews began assessing the damage. The National Weather Service planned to survey the area to determine the tornado’s strength, path and extent of the destruction. A trained spotter reported a rain-wrapped tornado on the ground around 6:18 p.m. Thursday.

Dover Police spokesperson Lt. Mark Hoffman called the situation a close call, saying, “Honestly, it’s a miracle. I don’t know how we made it out of this without anybody being injured.”

Residents described hearing what sounded like a train as the tornado moved through the city. Julian O’Neill said the combination of heavy rain and powerful winds made it difficult to see what was happening, while Reagan Coder said the sound immediately prompted him to take shelter in his bathroom.

Officials also warned of dangerous conditions caused by downed power lines and damaged utility poles. Damage was reported at the Kraft Foods facility and a Little League field, where fencing, poles and a scoreboard were damaged. Police urged residents to stay home when possible and give emergency and utility crews room to work.

Cleanup Underway After Tornado Tears Through Dover, Delaware was originally published on rnbphilly.com