Likely Tornado Hits Dover, Triggers State of Emergency

A likely tornado tore through Dover, Delaware, on Thursday evening, August 20, 2026, prompting a state of emergency declaration and urgent calls for residents to shelter in place as emergency crews responded to widespread damage. The National Weather Service confirmed the large and extremely dangerous tornado at 6:18 p.m. EDT, tracking it over the Dover Speedway and moving northeast at 30 mph. Dover Police declared the state of emergency at 6:20 p.m., reporting significant damage throughout parts of the city.

The storm left a path of destruction marked by downed trees, flooding, and widespread power outages. The hardest-hit area was identified as the corridor of Division Street and Lockerman Street. A stretch of Route 13 between Kings Highway, White Oak Road, and Lepore Road was closed for several hours due to debris and outages. City of Dover Electric and Streets crews, along with additional municipal workers and first responders, worked through the night to clear debris, reopen roads, and restore electricity.

Despite the extent of the damage, police reported no significant storm-related injuries, a fact officials described as extremely grateful. The Dover Police Department...