Delaware tornado delivered peak wind at 95 mph, damage in its 1-mile path. How big was it?

It touched down just after 7 p.m. The whole of New Castle County, and Delaware, already braced for continued remnants of then-Tropical Storm Debby barreling up the East Coast on Thursday.

The EF1 tornado knotted into shape over Marshallton, atwist with peak winds estimated at 95 mph, according to the preliminary report released Saturday morning by the National Weather Service. After initially hitting just south of Acme, the cyclone dragged a path of damage northward for another 1.13 miles – breaking windows, downing fences and dropping trees in its wake.

The wind funnel reached a max width of about 150 yards on its trek, according to the weather service. No injuries were reported, and preliminary reports aided by spotters noted debris “lofted into the air.” Damage to buildings and homes was reported.

Its ultimate EF1 rating corresponds to “moderate” impact, per forecasters, whereas a maximum EF5 would have meant “incredible” damage for communities, or winds over 260 mph.

Thursday’s tornado was the first to touch down on state soil this year.

But Delaware has been no stranger to such whirlwinds. Most have been rated EF0 or EF1. 

Hear from residents: They were in cars, homes and Acme. Residents describe Thursday tornado in Delaware

21-mile path? Looking back at tornadoes in Delaware

The First State has faced about 78 tornadoes since 1950, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal database aggregating reporting data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Just two of those twisters have led to direct fatalities, per the database. A 78-year-old man was killed last year in his Greenwood home in Sussex County, and two people were killed near Hartly in Kent County in 1983. Property damage totals nearly $13.4 million across the state as of April. That figure does not include damages incurred in the past five years.

The year 2020 stands out with six tornadoes, tied with 1992 for the most in one year. All those formations came in the same four-day span that August.

That was when Tropical Storm Isaias brought high winds, heavy rain, several tornadoes and coastal flooding to the entire Mid-Atlantic – becoming the most impactful tropical cyclone to hit the region since Sandy in 2012, per the database.

One EF2 tornado alone, delivering “significant” damage, posted a path nearly 21 miles in length. It reached 500 feet at its max width, with peak winds at 115 mph.

That cyclone tore through New Castle County after 8 a.m., continuing nearly parallel to Routes 1 and 13 on the east sides of Townsend and Middletown. Trees were snapped. Roofs were damaged. Several garage doors were blown out; another garage was destroyed on Blackbird Landing Road. Homes in Middletown sustained damage, with ripped-out walls or tree impact.

A history of twisters: Tornadoes in Delaware since 1950

A stronger tornado came just last year.

It touched down in the evening near Bridgeville, on April 1, 2023, before killing the 78-year-old Greenwood man. The twister delivered severe damage on its 14-mile path, barreling with peak winds clocked at 98-mph wind gusts about 10 feet off the ground. Utility poles were snapped, siding and roofs ripped away, parked semi-trailers blown over a driveway, among much more damage reported in Sussex County.