MARSHALLTON, Del. (CBS) – The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado occurred Thursday evening near Marshallton, Delaware, west of Wilmington. According to the NWS, it happened around 7:12 p.m.
The tornado occurred as a tornado warning was issued for New Castle County, which was in effect until 7:30 p.m. and then expired.
An Acme off Kirkwood Highway was damaged during the storm.
People at the store said the storm moved through quickly. They said they heard the wind as parts of the roof were ripped off.
There were branches scattered across the parking lot and shopping cart returns were thrown everywhere.
“It looks like part of the roof was ripped off,” said Dan Schofield, an Acme employee. “There’s definitely some damage inside. A few people were scared here and there, but overall everyone was in good spirits.”
Elsewhere, supply crews were busy removing fallen cables and masts.
New Castle County police said on social media that officers were on the way to assess the damage and respond to calls.
The Mill Creek Fire Company posted on social media that there were downed wires in the area and are asking people to stay home while cleanup continues.
“I can’t believe how many trees have fallen on the streets, it’s unbelievable,” said Lori Bellflowers, who has lived in the neighborhood for over 50 years.
According to the NWS, a flash flood warning is in effect in New Castle County until 12:15 a.m. Friday.
The NWS said between 2.5 and 6 inches of rain had already fallen in the New Castle County area. Numerous vehicles were trapped in the floodwaters and a mobile home park in Red Lion and Kirkwood was being evacuated, the NWS said. The NWS said 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour was expected, meaning flash flooding was already occurring.
Flash flooding is also occurring in Coatesville, Chester County. The NWS said there is significant street flooding in Landenberg, Avondale and the Coatesville area. As in New Castle County, parts of Chester County are expected to see rainfall of 2 to 3 inches per hour, and 2 to 5 inches of rain have already fallen.
The tornado warning came into effect when the Leftovers from Debbywhich has been downgraded to a tropical depression, is moving into the Philadelphia region.
The remnants of Debby will likely make their strongest impact on the Philadelphia region Friday afternoon. The storms will bring heavy rain and there is a slight risk for isolated tornadoes if the storm’s outer bands rotate sufficiently.
After the remnants of Debby move away on Friday, the Delaware Valley is in for a beautiful weekend.
