National Weather Service surveying storm damage in Pennsylvania and Delaware

NEWARK, Delaware (WPVI) — National Weather Service teams are surveying storm damage Tuesday in southeast Pennsylvania and Delaware to determine whether a tornado or straight-line winds tore through the region.

“We’re in the White Clay Creek Forest and it’s not as simple as saying, ‘oh a couple of trees came down,’” said neighbor Mark Sanford. “This forest came down around this neighborhood and this community.”

A path of destruction can be seen from the air, showing several snapped trees.

Two large trees fell onto Sanford’s home where he lives with his wife Nancy and 15-year-old dog Ginger in the Lamatan West Neighborhood of Newark, Delaware.

“Two huge trees on the back side of the house crisscrossed and came down. Probably 80- to 100-foot trees back there,” Sanford said.

Sanford said he was working upstairs in his home office around 6 p.m. Monday when he heard high-pitched winds.

“We ran to the basement and by the time we got to the basement, crashing trees came down around us,” Sanford said.

A large portion of the upstairs came crashing down to the first floor.

The entire community is now dealing with extensive property damage, hoping for more help to clean up as the National Weather Service surveys the damage.

“Again, the forest is down here,” Sanford said. “We’re going to need relief, the state, FEMA, something to come in to provide support that insurance is not picking up.”