Two rare November tornadoes and a burst of golf ball size hail slammed the Philadelphia region on Thursday, Nov. 12, in what forecasters are calling one of the wildest weather days in the area’s history. The National Weather Service confirmed one tornado in New Castle County, Delaware, near Wilmington, and another in Chesterfield Township in Burlington County, New Jersey.
No injuries or deaths were reported. The worst of it hit around 1 p.m. and was over by the evening commute, leaving behind crushed cars, a damaged school and hail piled so high it looked like snow.
Where did the Philadelphia tornadoes touch down?
In Delaware, the tornado touched down around 1:15 p.m. near Christiana Hospital, west of Wilmington. It crossed Interstate 95 and overturned a tractor trailer before reaching the hospital, where a medical helicopter had part of its main rotor torn off. In Newark, a hotel sign fell and crushed cars in a parking lot. ChristianaCare said patient care continued without interruption. The weather service had not released a rating for the Delaware tornado as of Friday afternoon.
In New Jersey, the weather service rated the Chesterfield tornado an EF1, with top winds of 100 mph. It stayed on the ground for about 1.5 miles along Old York Road and Bordentown Chesterfield Road and was up to 100 yards wide. It collapsed the walls of a farm building, tore most of the roof off a home, ripped the roof off the Meadow View Junior Academy private school and overturned farm equipment. A tornadic waterspout was also spotted on the Delaware River near Penns Grove.
How rare are November tornadoes in this area?
Very rare. Delaware has recorded only one other November tornado since records began in 1950, according to the state climatologist. New Jersey had not confirmed a tornado this late in November since 1989, according to AccuWeather. On average, the region sees a November thunderstorm only once every two years…