Damage Photo

SUSSEX COUNTY, De. - There was significant damage from Friday night's storm in Western Sussex County, in communities like Bethel, Laurel and Portsville.

Near Bethel, Tiffany Pedersen and her husband Jeremy spent Saturday chopping up fallen trees and branches. 

"You know we've had maybe a tree, maybe a top of a tree, but never 8 all at once, no nothing quite this substantial and we've been out here since about 6 this morning, and we've already got a lot cleaned up, but it'll be our week, this is our week," she said.

As soon as the tornado warning was issued just before 7 p.m. Friday, Pedersen says she and her husband along with their cats and dogs packed into their basement. "Just actually had just gotten into the basement, it was about 5 minutes and lost power, and you heard something, didn't know what it was, but you could feel it in the basement," she said.

Pedersen says she feels fortunate that everyone in her household made it through safe. "Our house is fine, our animals are fine,  we're fine, that's all that matters, and the rest of it, nobody else is going to come and miraculously clean it up, it'll wait for me, so it's all good, I'm happy," she said.

Broadcast/Video Journalist

Hunter is the Anchor of WBOC News at 7, and a Reporter. He joined Delmarva’s News Leader in June 2021, fulfilling a lifelong passion for working in TV news. He’s a Dorchester County native and attended Chesapeake College and Salisbury University.

Video Journalist

Jack Ford is the weekend anchor, weather presenter, and a reporter for WBOC. Jack joined the WBOC team in June of 2023 covering Sussex County, but now can be found covering stories across Delmarva. Jack graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. studying Journalism and Political Science

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