Severe weather

Tornado touched down near Wilmington, Delaware, at 1:15 PM ET Thursday

By Ryan Hall, Y'all Weather Desk · Published November 12, 2026, 4:32 PM ET

Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data.

A tornado touched down near Wilmington, Delaware, at 1:15 PM ET Thursday, Nov. 12, and the National Weather Service confirmed it from radar analysis and video. A viewer's video posted at 4:03 PM ET shows a large tornado over I-95 in Wilmington. Severe storms remain possible under a Level 2 of 5 (Slight Risk) across far southeastern Pennsylvania and southern and central New Jersey this afternoon.

What the video shows

The video comes from @BethGio67, who filmed from a car on I-95. It shows a large, condensed tornado over the highway, right behind an overhead sign. You can hear her say, "That's a tornado," and then ask why everyone is just sitting there. She posted it at 4:03 PM ET and said it was shot on I-95 in or near Wilmington.

One caution. She didn't say when she filmed it, and her post doesn't tie the video to the exact spot of the confirmed touchdown. We can't say this is the same tornado that touched down at 1:15 PM ET. It does show a real tornado near the highway in the Wilmington area.

What was confirmed

The National Weather Service report came out at 3:43 PM ET. It said radar analysis and video confirm a tornado touched down southeast of Eastburn Heights in New Castle County. The Tornado Warning covered Wilmington for about half an hour starting at 1:14 PM ET.

The report gave no rating, path length or damage details. It said more information will come Friday. Until then, treat any numbers you see online as unconfirmed.

What's still coming this afternoon

The storm setup is a low-pressure center moving east across New Jersey, with a disturbance aloft moving into the region. Right near that low and its warm front, the air is unstable enough for a few rotating storms. Our severe storm outlook has a Level 2 of 5 risk this afternoon for about 7.5 million people, including Philadelphia and Camden, plus central New Jersey cities such as New Brunswick.

The odds for any one spot are modest. The tornado chance is 5% in the highest area, and a few tornadoes are possible. The main threat is hail, with a 15% chance of quarter-size or larger. Damaging wind is less likely, at 5%. The risk has been trimmed in Delaware and eastern Maryland because the storms are moving northeast. Tornado watches now active run until 7 PM ET. Several flash flood warnings are also active, and flash flooding is a Level 1 of 4 concern for New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania today.

No severe storms are expected Friday or Saturday.

What to do

• Check your phone settings so warnings can wake you up. Free Y'all Alerts can help.
• If you're in southeastern Pennsylvania or New Jersey this afternoon, know your shelter spot. That's a lowest-floor room with no windows.
• If a tornado warning is issued for your spot, go there right away. Don't wait to see it.
• If you see a tornado from the road, don't shelter under an overpass. Get into a sturdy building if you can reach one. If you can't, fasten your seat belt, get your head below the windows and cover it.
• Don't drive into water over the road. Flash flood warnings are active.
• Track live warnings and storm reports as they come in.

Bottom line

A tornado touched down near Wilmington at 1:15 PM ET, and a viewer's video shows a large one over I-95. More official information is expected Friday, and no severe storms are expected Friday.

Explained: Watch vs. warning: what PDS watches and emergencies mean, Flood Advisory, Watch, Warning and Flash Flood Warning explained

More on Mid-Atlantic severe weather, November 2026

Places in this story: Wilmington, DE

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