CAMDEN, Del. - The National Weather Service has confirmed the damage left in the wake of Monday night’s storm in Camden was caused by straight line winds and not a tornado.
The NWS previously confirmed on Tuesday that separate tornadoes had touched down in both Ridgely, Md. and Frederica, Del. on March 16, though said their survey damage was continuing in the Camden area. On Wednesday, officials said their survey had concluded and found the damage came from strong thunderstorm winds.
Though the NWS says Camden did not see a tornado, the damage to the area was extensive and caused the only injury reported in the survey area. The NWS did not confirm the extent of those injuries.
Peak winds reached 90-100 mph in western Camden, rivaling the estimated peak winds of both Ridgely’s and Frederica’s tornadoes, according to the NWS. The highest degree of damage was seen near the intersection of Probst Lane and Westville Road where multiple trees fell onto mobile homes.
The NWS says the damage stretched over half a mile, and used the direction of the debris to determine it to be straight line wind damage.