BRIDGEVILLE, DE - April 1st marks the one year anniversary of one of Delaware’s most powerful tornadoes on record.
The historic F3 tornado touched down in Sussex County on April 1st, 2023, and tied a 1961 tornado in New Castle County as the strongest in Delaware history.
Wayne Papp lives in Greenwood. The roof of his home was torn off as the tornado ripped through his neighborhood.
"We were home and it was raining like hell, and all of the sudden I just heard the noise, I just couldn't believe what it was," said Papp.
Just two doors down from the Papp's, a home was leveled, and that home is still being rebuilt.
It was also Delaware’s first deadly tornado since 1983. The supercell tornado claimed the life of one man and left a wake of devastation in Sussex County. A Delaware Department of Transportation staging facility was just one of the many structural casualties.
DELDOT told us on Monday the damage to their Bridgeville facility totaled $7 million. The roof to the salt barn has been replaced in the year since, but a considerable amount of work still needs to be done.
The goal is to award a contract this spring, with work slated to begin this summer. DELDOT said the work could take a year to complete.
In Greenwood, Bruce Marshall recounts how quickly the tornado came... and then left.
"I think less than four minutes, five minutes, everything was wiped away it looked like a bomb had went through here, a warzone," said Marshall.
Marshall's home has been rebuilt, but he and his neighbor, Andrew Lefort, remember in the immediate hours after the storm, how dark the days ahead looked.
"It was definitely a nightmare and a long process for sure," said Lefort. "Figuring out what we were going to do with all the woods and getting everything cleaned up was definitely a big job."
Neighbors saw an outpouring of support in the wake of the storm, with people gathering to donate supplies to aid in the cleanup. The community effort was nothing short of inspiring.
"Man it's always an awesome sight to see, but I'm not surprised, this is just the community we live in." said Josh Wharton in response to about 150 neighbors coming together to volunteer. "Every time there's a tragedy, this community goes to bat for our own and it's heartwarming to see."
Still, cleanup was expected to be a long process, and some neighbors in the storm’s path still feel the impacts today.
WBOC’s Chief Meteorologist Dan Satterfield surveyed the damage left in the aftermath of the tornado from Chopper 16.
