Tornado Watch Until 7 PM in NJ and Philly Area After Confirmed Delaware Tornado

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Video: FOX 29 Philadelphia, “Hail falls in Delaware as storm moves through Northeast,” embedded with the official YouTube player. Recorded in Newark, Delaware, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, according to the channel’s description. Uploaded by FOX 29 Philadelphia on Nov. 12, 2026. Running time 0:30.

INSTANT UPDATE

Latest: At 4:03 p.m. ET, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning until 4:30 p.m. ET for parts of Mercer, Burlington and Monmouth counties in New Jersey for a radar-confirmed tornado near Crosswicks, about 8 miles southeast of Trenton. Tornado Watch 705 remains in effect until 7 p.m. ET for eight New Jersey counties and Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, after the NWS confirmed a tornado touched down near Christiana Hospital in New Castle County, Delaware, earlier Thursday afternoon.

  • What: A tornado watch in which the Storm Prediction Center warned of a few possible tornadoes, scattered large hail up to 1.5 inches and isolated damaging gusts up to 70 mph, plus a confirmed tornado in northern Delaware and a radar-confirmed tornado in central New Jersey.
  • When: The watch began at 12:50 p.m. ET Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, and runs until 7 p.m. ET. The NWS storm report places the Delaware tornado at about 1:15 p.m. ET.
  • Where: Still in the watch, per NWS Mount Holly: Burlington, Camden, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset counties in New Jersey, and Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, plus nearby New Jersey coastal waters.
  • Who: The NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, issued the watch; the NWS office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, issues local warnings; ChristianaCare reported minor damage at its Newark campus.
  • Current situation: At 3:27 p.m. ET, NWS Mount Holly dropped New Castle County in Delaware, Gloucester, Salem and Warren counties in New Jersey, and Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania from the watch. As of 4:06 p.m. ET, a tornado warning was in effect until 4:30 p.m. ET for southeastern Mercer, northern Burlington and southwestern Monmouth counties in New Jersey, including Bordentown, Crosswicks, Allentown, Windsor and Yardville-Groveville, and flash flood warnings cover parts of the Philadelphia region.

Last verified update: 4:06 p.m. ET, Thu., Nov. 12, 2026

Key Points

  • At 4:03 p.m. ET, the NWS warned of a radar-confirmed tornado near Crosswicks, New Jersey, moving northeast at 25 mph toward Allentown and Windsor, with a tornado warning until 4:30 p.m. ET for parts of Mercer, Burlington and Monmouth counties.
  • The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down near Christiana Hospital in New Castle County, Delaware, at about 1:15 p.m. ET Thursday, saying radar analysis and video confirm it.
  • Tornado Watch 705 runs until 7 p.m. ET for eight New Jersey counties and Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, according to NWS Mount Holly.
  • Nine counties, including New Castle County in Delaware and Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, were removed from the watch at 3:27 p.m. ET as the threat shifted east, per NWS and SPC updates.
  • The Storm Prediction Center said storms could bring a few tornadoes, hail up to 1.5 inches and isolated gusts up to 70 mph; trained spotters and the public reported hail up to 1.5 inches in Newark and Claymont, Delaware.
  • ChristianaCare said the storm caused minor property damage at its Newark campus, including possible damage to a helicopter and helipads, with services continuing without interruption. No injuries appear in NWS storm reports so far.
  • An NWS survey team plans to assess the Delaware damage on Friday, Nov. 13, to determine the tornado’s rating, path and width, FOX 29 reported.

A tornado watch is in effect until 7 p.m. ET Thursday for much of central and southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area, after a confirmed tornado touched down in northern Delaware earlier in the afternoon. The NWS Storm Prediction Center issued Tornado Watch 705 at 12:50 p.m. ET, and the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, has since narrowed it to Burlington, Camden, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset counties in New Jersey and Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania.

If you live in those counties, a watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, not that one is happening at your location. Keep an alert source on, know where you would shelter, and act immediately if a tornado warning is issued for your area. As of 4:06 p.m. ET, the NWS had a tornado warning in effect until 4:30 p.m. ET for southeastern Mercer, northern Burlington and southwestern Monmouth counties in New Jersey, where it said radar confirmed a tornado.

What happened

The Storm Prediction Center said isolated strong or supercell thunderstorms could form Thursday afternoon near a surface low and a warm front, and that cold air aloft and strong low-level wind shear would favor “a risk of hail and a tornado or two in the persistent cells.” Its watch text listed a few tornadoes, scattered large hail to 1.5 inches in diameter and isolated damaging gusts to 70 mph as the primary threats.

The first tornado warning came quickly. At 1:13 p.m. ET, NWS Mount Holly warned northeastern New Castle County, Delaware, for a storm near Stanton with radar-indicated rotation, moving northeast toward Wilmington, Elsmere, Newport and the Delaware Memorial Bridge area. The NWS cancelled that warning at 1:31 p.m. ET.

The weather service’s preliminary local storm report lists a tornado at about 1:15 p.m. ET, 1 mile southeast of Eastburn Heights in New Castle County. “Several reports of tornado damage around Christiana Hospital. Radar analysis and video confirm a tornado did touch down in this area,” the NWS wrote, adding that more information would come Friday. Earlier entries in the same set of reports described several trees down in the Salem Woods neighborhood, trees and wires down with minor house damage near Woodshade, and damage around the hospital, each marked “tornado probable.”

FOX 29 Philadelphia and 6abc Philadelphia both reported the NWS confirmation, and The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that a spotter described probable tornado damage near the hospital in Newark, including to a helicopter.

Later in the afternoon the storms shifted east. At 3:40 p.m. ET, NWS Mount Holly issued a tornado warning for north central Burlington County, New Jersey, after a rotating wall cloud was observed near Westampton Township, according to the warning. At 3:50 p.m. ET the storm was over Columbus, about 9 miles south of Trenton, moving east at 15 mph, the NWS said, with Bordentown, Florence-Roebling and Fieldsboro and stretches of the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate 295 in its path. A trained spotter reported a funnel cloud in Mount Laurel at 3:25 p.m. ET, NWS storm reports show.

At 4:03 p.m. ET, the NWS upgraded the threat with a new tornado warning, saying a “tornado producing storm” was over Crosswicks, about 8 miles southeast of Trenton, moving northeast at 25 mph. The warning, in effect until 4:30 p.m. ET, lists the source as a radar-confirmed tornado and names Bordentown, Allentown, Imlaystown, Crosswicks, Windsor and Yardville-Groveville, the New Jersey Turnpike near exit 8 and Interstate 195 between mile markers 5 and 14. NWS storm reports listed no damage from that storm as of 4:06 p.m. ET.

Which areas are still under the tornado watch

At 3:27 p.m. ET, the NWS Mount Holly office cleared the western part of the watch. SPC’s 3:30 p.m. ET status report said the severe threat continued east of a line running roughly from east of Atlantic City past Philadelphia and Trenton toward Allentown. The table below reflects the watch as listed by the National Weather Service at that update.

State Still in Tornado Watch 705 (until 7 p.m. ET) Removed at 3:27 p.m. ET
New Jersey Burlington, Camden, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset Gloucester, Salem, Warren
Pennsylvania Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Northampton
Delaware None New Castle
Coastal waters Sandy Hook to Manasquan Inlet and Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet, out 20 nautical miles Delaware Bay waters (dropped from SPC status reports)

Source: National Weather Service Mount Holly watch update, 3:27 p.m. ET, and SPC Watch 705 status report #2, Nov. 12, 2026. Table: LiveNewsWorld.

The NWS lists Camden, Cherry Hill, Doylestown, Edison, Flemington, Freehold, Mount Holly, New Brunswick, Norristown, Philadelphia, Toms River and Trenton among the cities in the remaining watch area.

Hail, flooding and storm damage reports

Hail was the most widespread hazard. SPC’s list of preliminary reports for Thursday includes hail of 1.5 inches in Newark and Claymont, Delaware, 1.25 inches in Brookside, Delaware, and quarter-size (1-inch) hail in Wilmington, Wallingford, Bridgeport, Ambler and Pennsauken, along with 1-inch hail near New Holland in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The FOX 29 video above shows hail in Newark, Delaware, according to the station.

Heavy rain followed. NWS Mount Holly issued flash flood warnings for parts of New Castle County in Delaware; Delaware, Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks counties in Pennsylvania; and Camden, Gloucester, Salem, Burlington, Mercer and Monmouth counties in New Jersey. Emergency managers reported water rescues on Concord Road in Chester Township and along Commerce Drive in Aston, both in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, according to NWS storm reports, which also listed flooding on Interstates 76, 95 and 476.

What ChristianaCare and officials are saying

ChristianaCare said in a statement reported by WBOC and CoastTV that the storm caused minor property damage at its Newark campus and that its facilities, public safety and emergency management teams were assessing possible damage to a helicopter and helipads. The health system said there did not appear to be any impact on operations beyond the reported damage and that services continued without interruption.

The NWS has not yet released the tornado’s rating, path length or width. FOX 29 reported that an NWS storm survey team will visit New Castle County on Friday, Nov. 13, and that details including whether there were injuries had not been released. As of 4:06 p.m. ET, none of the NWS storm reports reviewed by LiveNewsWorld listed injuries.

Tornado watch vs. tornado warning: what to do now

The National Weather Service uses different alerts for different levels of danger, and knowing which one you are under tells you what to do.

  • Tornado watch (be prepared): Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. The NWS advises reviewing your emergency plan, checking your supplies and safe room, and being ready to act quickly. Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and usually cover many counties.
  • Tornado warning (take action): A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. The NWS says to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and avoid windows. Warnings come from your local NWS office and cover a much smaller area.
  • Tornado emergency: The weather service’s highest alert, used when a violent tornado has touched down and catastrophic damage is confirmed. No tornado emergency had been issued in this event as of 4:06 p.m. ET.

If you are in a vehicle, outdoors or in a mobile home when a warning is issued, NWS guidance is to get to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Have more than one way to receive warnings, such as Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone, NOAA Weather Radio or local broadcasts. With flash flood warnings also in effect, do not drive through flooded roads.

Timeline

  • 12:50 p.m. ET: SPC issues Tornado Watch 705 for northern Delaware, central New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and nearby coastal waters, until 7 p.m. ET.
  • 1:13 p.m. ET: NWS Mount Holly issues a tornado warning for northeastern New Castle County, Delaware.
  • About 1:15 p.m. ET: NWS storm report places the confirmed tornado 1 mile southeast of Eastburn Heights, near Christiana Hospital.
  • 2:26 p.m. ET: NWS issues a flash flood warning for parts of New Castle County and nearby Gloucester, Salem and Delaware counties.
  • 3:27 p.m. ET: NWS Mount Holly removes nine western counties from the watch; 11 counties remain.
  • 3:40 p.m. ET: Tornado warning for north central Burlington County, New Jersey, until 4:15 p.m. ET.
  • 4:03 p.m. ET: NWS issues a tornado warning for a radar-confirmed tornado near Crosswicks, N.J., until 4:30 p.m. ET.
  • 7 p.m. ET: Tornado Watch 705 is scheduled to expire unless extended or cancelled early.

Why it matters

Thunderstorms are uncommon in the Philadelphia region in November: The Inquirer, citing weather service data, reported that they occur in that month only about once every two years on average. Thursday’s watch covers a densely populated corridor that includes Philadelphia, Trenton, Camden and the New Jersey Turnpike. A confirmed tornado near a major hospital campus, hail up to 1.5 inches and flood-related water rescues show why the alerts should be taken seriously even outside the traditional spring storm season.

What happens next

The watch is set to expire at 7 p.m. ET, and the NWS can cancel counties sooner as storms move offshore. The Mount Holly office told The Philadelphia Inquirer the heaviest rain was likely in the early evening, followed by showers overnight and more rain Friday. The NWS storm survey in New Castle County on Friday should establish the tornado’s EF rating and path. For live radar, warnings and updates, follow our U.S. Weather Live center and the tornado warnings tracker, or stream national coverage from the Watch Live News hub.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a tornado watch in Philadelphia right now?

Yes. As of 4:06 p.m. ET, Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties remain in Tornado Watch 705 until 7 p.m. ET, according to the National Weather Service. The active tornado warning at that time was in New Jersey, not Pennsylvania.

Is Delaware still under a tornado watch?

No. NWS Mount Holly removed New Castle County, the only Delaware county in the watch, at 3:27 p.m. ET.

Was a tornado confirmed?

Yes. The NWS said radar analysis and video confirm a tornado touched down near Christiana Hospital in New Castle County, Delaware. Its rating has not been announced. Separately, the NWS said radar confirmed a tornado near Crosswicks, New Jersey, at 4:03 p.m. ET.

What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

A watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes, so be prepared. A warning means a tornado has been seen or indicated by radar, so take shelter immediately, according to the NWS.

Sources