Moorefield Twp. Fire Chief Kevin Stevens said his department began receiving calls for service around 9:30 p.m.
Credit: Nick Graham / Staff
“We got called out originally for wires down, then more and more calls kept coming in for trees being down and they said on dispatch there was a possible tornado, but that’s not been confirmed,” Stevens said Sunday.
Some homes received only minor visible damage, with a few homes more severely affected.
One home’s roof was partially torn off, with wood beams exposed, and a garage that had been demolished, revealing a car that had been parked inside.
A wooden shed in one yard appeared to have been lifted from the ground and was resting on its side.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington did not immediately respond to a request for information about Saturday’s storm and whether a tornado was possible.
Northridge resident Irene Bilal-Engle recounted hearing a loud noise Saturday evening.
“I heard a boom,” she said. “I had gotten up to get some water and I saw a bright light up in the sky and I thought, ‘What is that?’
“Then, I saw about 15 police cars and (utility workers) out here. I looked out the window and I thought somebody had hit the tree in my yard, but as it turned out, I guess it was (potentially) a tornado.”
Bilal-Engle said she’s grateful her property wasn’t more severely damaged.
“I’m fortunate because I didn’t get a lot of damage,” she said. “Thank God ... it could have been really bad.”
Crews went door to door Saturday evening in the Northridge community, near Ridgewood Road West and Moorefield Road, checking on residents whose homes were damaged or had lost power, Stevens said.
“We had a couple of residents that were on oxygen and they had family members coming to pick them up, so they were fine; there were no injuries last night,” he said.
Crews were continuing to assess damage Sunday morning.
“The community is coming together great,” Stevens said. “There’s so many people out here helping everybody and it’s good to see.”
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