'It was a good birthday. We're alive,' woman says after tornado hits her Delaware home
About a half dozen homes in the area were damaged by the tornado when it touched down around 5:30 p.m.
MIDDLETOWN, Delaware (WPVI) -- The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down in Middletown, Delaware on Sunday afternoon, leaving behind a path of destruction.
The tornado was rated an EF-1 with estimated peak winds of 100 mph, according to the NWS. It touched down at 4:49 p.m. and lifted about two minutes later.
It was about 200 yards wide and was on the ground for 1.19 miles.
It damaged several homes in the Bayberry subdivision.
"The house shook and it sounded really loud and scary, so we ran to the basement," said Tracey Giambertone, who lives in a home on Chopin Drive with her husband, that was damaged by the storm.
The ceiling caved in leaving insulation scattered throughout the house. The second-floor bedroom is now open to the elements after the roof was torn off.
About a half dozen homes in the area were damaged by the tornado when it touched down around 5:30 p.m. Trees were also twisted and uprooted from the high winds.
"Grateful. It was my birthday yesterday. It was a good birthday. We're alive," said Giambertone. "All this stuff can be replaced."
The couple had just gotten home from dropping off an elderly relative, giving them even more reason to be thankful.
"We just took her to her other house, so she wasn't with us. We are just so thankful we all made it through," said Giambertone.
The couple spent the day talking to their insurance company and repair crews. They can't live in the home anymore, and will likely be out for six to nine months.
High winds were also to blame for knocking a tractor-trailer over on Route 1 South at Hyetts Corner Road.
The trailer landed on top of a Ford Explorer.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the crash.
