Officials: It Was A Tornado That Hit Sussex County Yesterday

Smyrna – A team of meteorologists from the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Mount Holly, New Jersey along with personnel from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), and Sussex County Emergency Operations conducted a site assessment this morning, where it was confirmed that a tornado touched down last evening in the Greenwood, Delaware area, according to DEMA Spokesman Gary Laing. There were no reports of injury, however some damage was reported.

Laing said a storage building at the Delaware Electric Cooperative site on U.S. Route 13 in Greenwood sustained some damage. Four structures on the northwest side of the intersection of Sugar Hill and St. Johnstown Roads were also damaged. Most of the damage affected farm buildings; however one nearby home had damage to its porch.

National Weather Service officials say that visual evidence, along with radar data received during the storm, helped to confirm their finding of a tornado that impacted a specific area of western Sussex County, according to Laing. The visual examination was enhanced by a DEMA aerial drone, which provided an overhead view of wooded areas that would have been difficult to examine from ground level.

NWS officials report other nearby damage was the result of straight-line winds, some in excess of 90 MPH. The National Weather Service will issue more specifics related to the storm at a later time.

Original Story 

Delaware – Strong storms rolled through  Southern Delaware Yesterday, Monday June 19, 2017, bringing down tree and power lines. Kent and Sussex Counties were under a tornado warning during the peak of the storm.

Damage was reported to several structures promoting authorities to head to the area. Officials will be on scene today to determine if the damage was caused by what they’re calling a “probable tornado”.

The Delaware Electric Cooperative (DEC) posted images on their Facebook page that showed some of the reported damage.

DEC released a video on their Facebook page that shows the storm (Tornado) moving through their property.

The storm knocked out power to much of the region as it moved through. DEC reported that hundreds of its members were without power. Crews worked through the night to restore service. At last check power has been restored to all but 13 members.

 

Image Credits: DEMA

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