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Tornado leaves wake of damage in Dover, Delaware
Thursday's severe weather brought at least one confirmed tornado to Dover, Delaware that left a path of destruction behind.
DOVER, Del. - A tornado touched down in Dover, Delaware causing significant damage to several areas with debris scattered around buildings and roadways.
Mayor Robin Christiansen declared a state of emergency just before 6:30 p.m. on Thursday after the storm swept through the city.
No injuries have been reported.
Assessing the storm's impact and community response
What we know:
The tornado damaged multiple locations in Dover, including the Super Lodge Days Inn where part of the roof blew off and debris covered the front lawn.
Other hard-hit areas include Division Street, Luckerman Street corridor and North Dupont Highway. Officials issued a travel warning and urged drivers to treat non-functioning traffic lights as four-way stops.
City crews and tree teams began clearing debris as early as 3:00 a.m. and crews are expected to return to address power lines that were also damaged during the storm.
"The biggest issue for us right now is keeping people home. As you can see, we have a lot of sightseers, people coming out to check out the damage and they're part of the problem. We need them to stay home...So they're creating a dangerous situation not only for themselves but for the people we're trying to help," said Lieutenant Mark Hoffman with the City of Dover Police Department said.
Local support grows during cleanup efforts
Artistic Additions Tattoo, a local tattoo shop, is providing free lunch to those affected by the tornado and anyone helping with the recovery, including utility workers. The business stated that people do not have to be customers to receive a meal.
What's next:
Cleanup continues as residents and city crews remove debris and repair damaged power lines. Travel remains restricted in certain areas while officials work to restore safety and utilities. The community is actively supporting those involved in the recovery process.
The National Weather Service says survey teams will investigate damage in several other areas Thursday to determine if any additional tornadoes touched down during Thursday's storms.
What we don't know:
Weather Service officials have yet to reveal the intensity of Thursday's confirmed tornado.
There has been no update on the total extent of property damage across all affected neighborhoods.
The Source: Information from Dover police, the National Weather Service an interviews conducted by FOX 29.