National Weather Service Rates Thursday’s Christiana-Area Tornado an EF-1
Written by Kiss Media on 14 November 2026
The National Weather Service has confirmed that the tornado that touched down in New Castle County on Thursday afternoon was an EF-1, with peak winds of about 100 mph.
The tornado touched down at 1:05 p.m. Thursday in the southern part of the Salem Woods neighborhood in Bear, damaging siding and uprooting trees. It may have briefly lifted before causing more damage as it crossed Old Baltimore Pike into the Oaks development, then continued through Timber Farms, Norwegian Woods and Chapman Woods, where it reached its peak strength and snapped multiple trees.
On Chapman Road, the tornado knocked over a hotel sign. It then crossed Interstate 95, where it overturned a tractor-trailer, before moving onto Christiana Hospital property. Two helicopters were hit there — one was spun 90 degrees and another suffered a broken rotor.
The tornado broke at least one more tree before dissipating near Churchmans Road.
No one was injured. The National Weather Service said there were no injuries or fatalities from the tornado.
Source: WDEL — https://www.wdel.com/news/national-weather-service-confirms-strength-of-thursdays-christiana-area-tornado/article_fd845b15-1756-4c50-bfb0-8413e3e6a70f.html
