Tornado occurred near Marshallton, Delaware, National Weather Service says
MARSHALLTON, Del. (CBS) -- The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado occurred Thursday night near Marshallton, Delaware, which is just west of Wilmington. It happened around 7:12 p.m., according to the NWS.
A confirmed tornado occurred near Marshallton, DE this evening around 7:12 PM. We do not have any additional confirmed details at this time. If you have any reports of wind damage or flooding from northern Delaware or Chester County, PA, we certainly appreciate them! #DEwx #PAwx
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) August 8, 2024
The tornado happened as a tornado warning was issued for New Castle County until 7:30 p.m., which expired.
An Acme off of Kirkwood Highway was damaged as the storm moved through.
People inside the store said the storm moved through quickly. They said they heard wind come through as part of the roof ripped off.
Tree limbs were scattered across the parking lot, while the cart returns were thrown.
"Looks like some of the roof got torn off," Dan Schofield, an Acme employee, said. "There's definitely some damage inside. A few people were scared here and there but mostly everyone was in good spirits."
Elsewhere, utility crews were working on downed lines and poles.
New Castle County Police shared on social media that officers are out surveying the damage and responding to calls.
Officers from the New Castle County Division of Police are out responding to calls for service in the area of Delcastle, Sherwood Park, Kingsmill, Hunters Run and Milltown Rd. pic.twitter.com/k49o7eFVMO
— New Castle County Police (@NCCPD_DE) August 9, 2024
Mill Creek Fire Company posted on social media that there were downed wires in the area. They're asking folks to stay home as clean-up continues.
"I can't believe how many trees that have fallen down into the streets, it's unbelievable," said Lori Bellflowers, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 50 years.
According to the NWS, a flash flood warning is in effect in New Castle County until 12:15 a.m. on Friday.
The NWS said between 2.5 to 6 inches of rain has already fallen in the New Castle County area. Numerous vehicles were trapped in the floodwaters and a trailer park is being evacuated in Red Lion and Kirkwood, according to the NWS. The NWS said 2-3 inches of rain is expected to fall per hour, which means flash flooding is already occurring.
In Coatesville, Chester County, flash flooding is also occurring. The NWS said there's significant street flooding in Landenberg, Avondale and the Coatesville area. Like New Castle County, the rain is expected to fall 2 to 3 inches per hour in parts of Chester County, and 2-5 inches of rain has already fallen.
The tornado warning went into effect as the remnants from Debby, which has been downgraded to a tropical depression, move into the Philadelphia region.
The remnants of Debby will likely make the biggest impact on the Philadelphia region on Friday afternoon. The storms will bring heavy rain and a small risk of isolated tornadoes if there is enough rotation in the outer bands of this storm.
After the remnants of Debby move out on Friday, the Delaware Valley is set to have a beautiful weekend.