BRIDGEVILLE, Del.- Saturday's powerful tornado that struck Bridgeville caused heavy damage to a DelDOT staging facility.
Delaware Department of Transportation officials are now assessing the extent of the damage and estimating repair costs.
Staging facilities are where DelDOT stores all of their equipment and supplies, including snowplows, lawn mowers, and rock salt.
Despite the structural damage to the building, officials have confirmed that most of the contents were not affected.
“Thankfully, we've been able to salvage a lot of the equipment. We are hopeful that we are not going to see a lot of equipment that is un-usable as a result,” said DelDOT spokesperson C.R. McLeod.
While the equipment may have survived the tornado, DelDOT is expecting a costly repair bill. Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski estimates the cost of repairs for the buildings alone to be around $5 million.
DelDOT is waiting for a total storm damage assessment from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) to determine whether they'll be eligible for any disaster relief funding.
In the meantime, they'll have to rely on insurance and the DelDOT capital fund.
Governor John Carney toured the affected area on Sunday and commented, “My first reaction is we're really incredibly lucky. Lucky that more lives weren't lost, we've lost one person sadly. My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to his family and many people that called him a friend. The biggest damage in terms of dollars and cents is right here at this yard."
On Sunday afternoon, President Joe Biden released a statement saying he spoke with Gov. Carney. The President pledged his administration will do everything it can to help Delaware recover, for as long as it takes.
Despite the damage to their facility, DelDOT assures the public that their ability to serve the community and help with disaster relief efforts throughout Sussex County will not be negatively impacted.