Dover, Del., declares 'state of emergency' due to possible tornado damage

Possible tornado damage in Dover prompted Mayor Robin R. Christiansen to declare a "State of Emergency," police say.

This came after the National Weather Service issued a series of Tornado Warnings that included Dover during the 8 and 9 a.m. hours.

Just after 9:45 a.m., the Dover Police Department posted to social media: "Traffic is severely impacted by downed trees, power lines, and a large power outage throughout the city. Please remain patient as we work through these issues. Our partners at Dover Fire and Dover Electric are working with us as well. Our building is operating on generator power which has impacted some of our operations. Please do not call 9-1-1 unless you have a true emergency to help us get to those who truly need help right now."

The city's electric department posted to Facebook saying it was aware of multiple power outages in the area.

The police department said that, as of 9:30 a.m., the mayor had issued that state of emergency, which includes driving restrictions.

"We are asking you to stay in your homes and avoid unnecessary travel," police said. "If your vehicle is parked on the street where trees are down, please move it if possible to help our utility and cleanup crews."

Police also urged residents to be mindful of downed wires, as they had taken numerous calls from throughout the city. They said further details on the emergency restrictions would be forthcoming.

The National Weather Service later posted a storm report that said social media pictures showed snapped power poles and several limbs down on Route 8 at Bennington Street in Dover. There were reports of a tornado in that area, and reports of damage farther north, as well. They estimated from radar that the time of the storm was approximately 8:58 a.m.

Max Ollendorff, of California, who is in Delaware for his daughter's soccer tournament, tweeted that a tornado touched down behind their hotel in Dover, Del.

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