The state capital was struck by a rare tornado on Thursday night, which damaged a manufacturing plant, Route 13 businesses and Little League fields but no serious injuries were reported.
The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that a likely EF-1 tornado touched down in Dover amid a strong thunderstorm cell.
The city was briefly under a state of emergency overnight on Thursday, but it was lifted Friday morning.
The tornado tore through the Dover Little League fields, causing significant damage there and then continued east, where it picked up tractor trailers at the Kraft Heinz plant and smashed them into the block walls of the manufacturing plant.
The storm’s intense winds toppled tree limbs in downtown Dover, but did not appear to cause widespread damage. On U.S. Route 13, the winds ripped the roof off the Superlodge motel, dropping it on vehicles below. The neighboring Days Inn motel and car wash were similarly damaged.
The roof of the home dugout at the Dover Little League was torn off and thrown across the field while chain link fences were mangled. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
Officials were surveying the damage at the Dover Little League fields on Friday afternoon. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
The scoreboard at the Dover Little League was destroyed by the tornado. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
The interior of the Kraft Heinz plant was visible Friday after the tornado lifted tractor trailers and smashed them into the cinder block walls. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
No one was reportedly injured at the Kraft Heinz plant, which was operating normally Friday. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
The Superlodge’s sign was still standing Friday but sustained damage from the tornado. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
The Superlodge roof was ripped off in the storm. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
The roof and fence of the Days Inn motel off U.S. Route 13 was shredded by the tornado. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
Pieces of the Days Inn rood were hanging from utility lines on Friday afternoon. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
The city of Dover condemned the Superlodge on Friday, evicting some residents who had been staying there. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
A cemented light pole along U.S. Route 13 was ripped from the ground in the storm. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS 
The sign at a neighboring car was was toppled by the tornado. | SPOTLIGHT DELAWARE PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS
