Severe storms bring tornadoes, structure fires, road closures and power outages across Delaware Valley

PHILADELPHIA - Severe weather moved through the region Thursday, causing road closures, power outages, and storm damage amid confirmed tornado sightings in New Castle County and Burlington County, according to the National Weather Service and local officials. 

Borough Police Department reported Edgmont Avenue was closed from W Forrestview Road to Upland Road around 4 p.m. due to hail resembling snow, while the Burlington County Office of Emergency Management warned residents of hazards in the storm's aftermath.

Storm causes widespread damage and disruptions

What we know:

The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes touched down Thursday, one in New Castle County and another in Burlington County. 

Emergency officials told residents to avoid downed wires and flooded streets following afternoon storms and the possibility of a tornado in Burlington County. The National Weather Service is surveying storm damage in Mansfield, Bordentown, and Chesterfield.

First responders were called to three structure fires in Mansfield and Chesterfield amid the storm. 

A private school in Chesterfield also sustained storm damage, according to emergency management officials. There were no injuries reported. 

According to a ChristianaCare spokesperson, ChristianaCare’s Newark campus was impacted by the tornado and/or high winds that caused some minor damage to property, including the helipads and two helicopters. No one was injured and patient care was not disrupted. "We are continuing to provide care and services normally," said the spokesperson.

About 1,360 PSE&G customers in Burlington County lost power as a result of the severe weather.

Local perspective:

A close call for one Delaware couple after a tornado tore through New Castle County, bringing down a massive hotel sign that crushed two cars outside a Newark hotel. One of the vehicles belonged to Darryl Badley. He says his wife was just seconds away from getting inside when the sign came crashing down.

"It was shock. It was pure shock," Badley said.

His Honda was one of two vehicles completely destroyed outside the Sonesta Suites on Chapman Road in Newark.

Badley says he bought the car less than a year ago as a birthday present for his wife. She was nearby when the tornado moved through and watched as the hotel sign began to shake.

"She literally saw the tornado and the wind blowing and all that’s going on out the door, and she saw the sign shaking. She said, ‘Hope the sign doesn’t fall on my car,’ and literally as soon as she said it, bam," Badley recalled.

Despite losing the vehicle, Badley says he considers his family fortunate.

His wife had been getting ready to leave when the tornado struck. Had she made it outside just moments earlier, she could have been inside the car when the sign came crashing down.

"I’m grateful that my wife was actually getting ready to get in the car to go somewhere, and she not stalled, she would have been in the car when all this happened," he said. "I can replace a car. I can’t replace my wife."

Just a few hundred yards away, the damage continued at the University Plaza Corporate Center.

An overturned container was among the damage, while another vehicle was totaled after a massive tree came crashing down on it.

Employee Erich Heintz says he feels terrible for his coworker who lost her car.

"Horrible, horrible. She’s gotta get back and forth. She’s gotta live her life, you know, and then all of a sudden, just in a snap, you know, she can’t. You know, she’s gotta deal with all those stresses of just dealing with the car itself, but also how she gonna get to work tomorrow," Heintz said.

Another tree at the office park came crashing down onto a building, damaging the top of the structure.

Patti Gawinski says the scene was difficult to believe, especially knowing how close the tree came to her office.

"It’s a little mind-blowing. The tree right there could’ve gone the other way and actually hit my desk. Thank goodness you’re OK. Thank goodness I wasn’t here today," Gawinski said.

Across New Castle County, cleanup crews spent hours removing massive downed trees and branches as residents and businesses began assessing the damage.

Leonardo Cordero says the destruction happened in a matter of minutes.

"It’s dangerous. I’ve never seen that before. So fast, in 10 minutes, everything comes down — the cars, the signs, the trees. I’ve never seen anything like that before," Cordero said.

Timeline:

Around 4 p.m., Thursday, hail led Parkside Borough Police Department to shut down part of Edgmont Avenue. 

As storms traveled northeast, heavy rain moved through the area. 

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for all of Burlington County until 7 p.m. and a flash flood warning for northern Burlington County until 7:30 p.m.

Aftermath and what's ahead for local weather

What's next:

Temperatures are set to drop, with lows plunging into the 30s and highs staying in the 40s through Saturday, according to the Weather Authority. 

Northwesterly winds are expected to bring gusts of 15 to 20 miles an hour Friday, adding to already chilly wind chills. High elevation areas in the Poconos may see some snow by Friday morning.

By Saturday morning, wind chills could reach the 20s, and the forecast calls for highs in the 40s through Saturday, a brief warm-up into the 50s Sunday, and a return to the 60s by Wednesday. 

The National Weather Service is expected to survey the damage to determine the tornado’s strength, estimated wind speeds, size and path.

Dig deeper:

According to recent National Weather Service data, November has seen an uptick in tornado warnings in the region compared to previous decades. While earlier years typically saw 1 warning in November, the number was 4 between 2016 and the 2020 range, with 3 already this year.

The full extent of structural damage from the two confirmed tornadoes is under assessment, according to the National Weather Service, and final damage surveys are ongoing.

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