UPDATED – 05/18/25 – 5pm – The National Weather Service has confirmed that an E-F 1 tornado that began in eastern Dorchester County before crossing into Sussex County. Officials say the tornado formed at 6:52 Friday evening two miles south southeast of Rhodesdale, Maryland and ended at 7:06pm one mile south of Bethel. Estimated peak winds are 100 to 110 mph and the tornado traveled just over 11 miles with a width of about 600 yards – and made discontinuous circulations.
There was significant tree damage – with many trees snapped along their trunks – and several more uprooted. Officials believe the tornado lifted briefly as little damage was found on Indiantown Road. Damage resumed on Eldorado-Sharptown Road. Near Galestown, MD an elongated farm building was lifted off its foundation and pushed several yards to the east northeast. Galestown saw the most concentrated damage.
The tornado moved into Sussex County, crossed the Nanticoke River where additional tree damage was found in Phillips Landing Park and more large limbs were downed near Broad Creek just south of Bethel where the tornado dissipated.
NWS officials say additional damage in the Laurel area was the result of straight-line winds which caused damage to the roofs of two commercial structures in Laurel and tree damage south of Chipman Pond.
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UPDATED – 05/18/25 – The National Weather Service has determined that a tornado occurred Friday evening – starting in Dorchester County and continuing into Sussex County in the area of Bethel. The full summary has not been completed and should be published today. That will include the estimated maximum wind speed, rating and exact path of the tornado.
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UPDATED – 05/17/25 – The National Weather Service in Mount Holly, NJ, was in Laurel Saturday morning to do a site survey of damage from the storms that swept through the western side of the County Friday night. Laurel Fire officials and County Emergency Management officials say the storms downed several trees and tor off roofs of at least 2 commercial buildings near Route 13. Most of the damage was in an area from Phillips Landing just west of Laurel – to Chipman Pond. The National Weather Service also planned to visit Dorchester County as well to asses damage there. They hope to determine is the damage was from microbursts, straight-line winds or possible tornadic activity. The National Weather Service hopes to have a final assessment by late afternoon.
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ORIGINAL STORY – Storms swept through Delmarva twice on Friday – bringing severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings. During the afternoon storm – there are reports to the National Weather Service of golf ball sized hail in the Millsboro/Dagsboro area.
But it was the second storm that swept through at dinner time that brought the most damage to the peninsula. Thousands were without power from Easton to Ocean City – with the hardest areas hit – Salisbury, Easton and southwestern Sussex County, where there were also multiple calls for downed wires and trees from Delmar to Bethel and Seaford.
Delmarva Power at one point had over 10,000 customers without power – that number at 5am was down to 167 – mainly in the Hurlock/Salisbury/Laurel areas
Delaware Electric Cooperative reports 5 members without power in western Sussex at 5am and Choptank Electric still had 2 without power in the Easton/St Michael’s area and in Denton.
In the Preston area – the National Weather Service had reports of 1.5-inch size hail and the NWS reported 2 trees on homes in Easton – and power lines down throughout Easton
At 6:55pm – the NWS reported a possible funnel cloud near Galestown in Dorchester County. This has not been confirmed.
Utility crews remain on the job early this morning – working to restore power to their remaining customers still in the dark.