Tornado touches down near Bridgeville - one fatality confirmed
Calls for volunteers to assist with cleanup efforts Sunday have begun
This is a developing story, stay tuned for more and be safe
At least one person has died due to severe weather that swept through Delaware on Saturday.
At 8:30 p.m. Saturday, the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center confirmed, via its Facebook page, that there was at least one fatality connected to a collapsed structure along Tucker Road, southeast of Greenwood.
“Emergency personnel from throughout Sussex and Kent counties in Delaware are surveying areas in and around the Greenwood-Bridgeville area. Residents and property owners are cautioned to avoid travel in this area is possible, as several roads remained closed,” the message continued.
Severe weather warnings that rang out across southern Delaware Saturday afternoon and evening were joined by periods of high winds, rain, hail and reports of weather damage and suspected tornadoes.
On social media, residents in the area of Milton, Ellendale and Bridgeville reported seeing what appeared to be tornadoes in their area.
The National Weather confirmed that a tornado did touch down in the Bridgeville area shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday.
Sussex County first responders were called to the Greenwood and Bridgeville areas for reports of multiple structures that were damaged by weather events.
The National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued a tornado watch until 10 p.m.
At about 8 p.m. penny-sized hail struck homes in the Farmington area.
Sussex County firefighters responded to multiple calls of fires and downed wires throughout the county.
Saturday evening, area leaders called for volunteers to assist in the expected cleanup efforts.
“Bridgeville is hurt,” said Josh Wharton, co-founder of the Good Ole Boy Foundation, in a Facebook post.
“Another round of storms coming through tonight, so let’s help pick them up tomorrow morning.”
His post asked volunteers to bring trucks, trailers, chainsaws, gloves, safety equipment and anything else that could be useful.
Mr. Wharton is asking for volunteers to meet at the Bridgeville Food Lion parking lot at 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
The National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly has issued a tornado watch until 10 p.m.
