Dangerous tornado tears through Dover, Delaware; damage reported

The NWS said the "confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Dover Speedway, or over Dover, moving northeast at 30 mph."

A large and dangerous tornado tore through Dover, Delaware, on Thursday evening, causing damage, according to the National Weather Service.

A large and dangerous tornado tore through Dover, Delaware. (Unsplash)

The tornado was confirmed at 6:18 p.m. EDT.

The NWS said the "confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Dover Speedway, or over Dover, moving northeast at 30 mph. Damage from the tornado has been reported in Dover."

Deep Dive

What areas in Delaware were impacted by the tornado in Dover?

What should I do if I'm in a tornado warning and cannot find immediate shelter?

Why was the tornado in Dover described as particularly dangerous?

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“This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW," the NWS warned.

Dover is located in Kent County, which is under tornado warning till 6:45 p.m. EDT.

The NWS warned, "You are in a life-threatening situation. Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete destruction is possible."

Locations impacted by the tornado include:

Dover

Camden

Cheswold

Rising Sun-Lebanon

Rising Sun

Dover Base Housing

Dover Speedway

Wyoming

Little Creek

Leipsic

Rodney

Village

Kent Acres

Highland Acres

Tornado Watch

Earlier in the day, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for parts of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia until 10 p.m. EDT Thursday. The agency warned that the storms could produce a few tornadoes, damaging winds of up to 70 mph and hail.

The National Weather Service office in Baltimore-Washington said the highest tornado threat is across central and northeastern Maryland, partly because of the bay breeze ahead of the approaching front.

“Severe T-Storm and Tornado Watches are valid for the shaded areas until 10pm,” the agency said in a post at 3:30 p.m. “The highest tornado threat looks to be up across central & northeast MD due to the bay breeze ahead of the front.”

Storms were expected to move through the region from the afternoon into the evening, with the greatest concern between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.