The National Weather Service confirms Dover was hit by a tornado early Thursday evening.
The tornado formed west of Dover in Hartly shortly before 6 p.m. before moving east and likely touching down in Dover.
Dover Police posted on social media that the area hardest hit appears to be the Division Street/Lockerman Street corridor, along with parts of N. Dupont Highway.
The National Weather Service says a trained spotter reported significant structural damage to the Kraft Food facility.
Dover Police also say the city is dealing with significant power outages and numerous intersections where traffic signals are not functioning, creating extremely dangerous travel conditions. They are asking people to get off the roads and stay home.
Mayor Robin Christiansen declared a state of emergency around 6:20, p.m. noting in a statement it will last at least 30 days, allowing the city to use “any resources necessary to handle the situation and begin any data collection for FEMA and DEMA intervention and reimbursements if needed."
Dover was last hit by a tornado six years ago in August 2020 as the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaias hammered the First State. That tornado also did substantial damage to the state's capital city.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
