Rare November Tornado Confirmed in Delaware as Hail Piles Up Like Snow Across Philly Suburbs
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado tore through New Castle County on Thursday afternoon — only the second time Delaware has recorded a November twister since 1950 — while hail stacked up like snowdrifts across the Pennsylvania and New Jersey suburbs.
A tornado touched down in New Castle County, Delaware, the National Weather Service confirmed Thursday, part of a fast-moving line of severe storms that tore through the Philadelphia region during the afternoon and evening, toppling trees, flooding roads and burying parts of the suburbs under hail "like snow."
The National Weather Service's Mount Holly office said on social media that it had confirmed a tornado occurred in the county "earlier this afternoon," during a tornado warning in effect from roughly 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. A full report on the twister's track and intensity was expected Friday.
In Newark, a sign at a hotel came crashing down, crushing two parked cars; no injuries were reported. A few miles away, a medical helicopter stationed at a nearby hospital campus was damaged, reportedly by the tornado or accompanying high winds, though a hospital spokesperson said patient operations were not disrupted, according to FOX29 Philadelphia's coverage.
Hail "Like Snow" in Pennsylvania
Across the state line, the same storm system dumped heavy hail on Delaware and Chester counties in Pennsylvania. Along Route 352 in Parkside Borough, hail piled up so deep that several drivers got stuck just before 5 p.m., prompting officials to temporarily shut down the roadway while crews cleared it, according to 6abc's live storm coverage. In Chester County, witnesses described entire blocks that looked blanketed in snow.
In New Jersey, the National Weather Service said it planned to survey damage Friday in Burlington County, including Chesterfield and Bordentown Township, after a preliminary survey Thursday evening was cut short by darkness.
"WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT A TORNADO DID OCCUR IN NEW CASTLE COUNTY EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON"
Meteorologists noted the rarity of the event: according to NOAA records cited by Delaware Public Media, Thursday marked only the second time the state has recorded tornado activity in the month of November since 1950.
No deaths or serious injuries had been reported by Thursday night from any part of the storm's path. Cleanup crews were working into the evening to clear downed trees and standing water, and officials in both Delaware and New Jersey said they expected a clearer picture of the damage — and any official tornado rating — once daylight surveys wrap up Friday.