The National Weather Service confirms Dover was likely hit by a tornado early Thursday evening.
The tornado appeared to form 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.
Delaware Public Media's isreal Hale reports the Superlodge on Route 13/N.DuPont Hwy suffered significant damage with DART vehicles on hand to help relocate people displaced. The Days Inn on Route 13 also reportedly suffered damage.
The National Weather Service says one trained spotter reported a rain wrapped tornado on the ground with flying debris, while another trained spotter reported significant structural damage to the Kraft Food facility.
Dover Police say the storm also caused power outages leaving numerous intersections with traffic signals not functioning, creating dangerous travel conditions.
But Dover Police reports no significant injuries.
Mayor Robin Christiansen declared a state of emergency around 6:20 p.m. but lifted it early Friday morning to allow businesses and individuals to resume their normal activities.
He still asks residents to avoid areas where debris remains present and yield to City staff and emergency personnel as they work to safely clear affected areas.
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.
