Tornado kills 1 in Sussex County as storm carves a 14-mile path of destruction

SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - One man is dead after Saturday evening's severe storms take aim in southern Delaware.

The National Weather Service says one tornado touched down in Sussex County, Delaware, after surveying storm damage along Route 13 in Greenwood and Bridgeville.

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Officials say a man died after a house in Sussex County collapsed during a severe storm, containing a tornado.

Sunday, family members of the deceased were at the demolished home, trying to recover what they could from a home of four generations.

There were at least four other homes in the immediate area that sustained damage, some more serious than others, but, fortunately, all of those families made it out okay.

Joe Hubert says he was out to dinner with his wife and family about 20 minutes from his Greenwood home when he got a phone call about a tornado. He’s thanking God he wasn’t there or driving nearby. "I firmly believe he protected us from it, yeah. These trees were just blown over like toothpicks."

A tree hit his brand new, only one-year-old home on Owens Road, damaging the back corner of his home and roof, be he feels he was lucky. Homes next door in both directions had more extensive damage.

On Tuckers Road, his neighbor’s roof completely ripped off and windows shattered.

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Officials say the tornado cut a 14-mile path of destruction from Bridgeville to Ellendale, impacting at least two to three dozen homes in the county, including a home on Fawn Road, only the toilets in the home and a refrigerator still left standing.

"My first reaction is we’re really, incredibly lucky that more lives weren’t lost," Delaware Governor John Carney said.

The deadly tornado was caught on camera by the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center as its harrowing funnel began descending from the sky Saturday evening.

"I got out of church and something told me go lend a hand. No rest, just go," resident Jonathan Tharp said.

After working a 16-hour overnight shift with a tree company, Tharp volunteered his time to help. "There were hundreds of people out there just helping out, doing whatever they can."

Tharp’s wife took a picture of a double rainbow, after the storm.

"Someone came along and tarped my roof for me. Roofing company came along and said no charge," Hubert said. "We just moved down here and, you know, even though this happened, I don’t regret it. I love it down here. Sussex County is great."

"My first reaction is we’re really, incredibly lucky that more lives weren’t lost," Delaware Governor John Carney said.

The American Red Cross is helping along with DHSS Office of Preparedness.

Officials say the last time someone was killed in a tornado in Delaware was in 1983.