Town officials focus on recovery, community building following deadly tornado in Sussex County

Hundreds of residents near and far came together in the days after to help restore a sense of community for those who’ve lost so much.

Bridgeville Town Manager Bethany Debussy says the focus their focus is on recovery and says it’s going to take time.

Crews have been working non-stop since Saturday on cleanup efforts. Debussy says although the tornado did come as a shock, Delaware has seen several similar weather events in recent years.

Due to that, she tells us they’re also focused on proper planning which includes strengthening evacuation measures. “Making sure that there’s structures that are sound and that people can shelter in. I think there’s probably a lot of work to be done with that,” Debussy said.

“Talking from the town’s perspective, we can look at things within our time limits but as you know most of this damage was in unincorporated areas. There’s a lot to look at and things that need to be done to make sure people have safe avenues for storms like this.”

The town of Bridgeville says they also want to provide residents with more education about what resources are available to them in a time of crisis .

Town officials also tell us several local groups are working on fundraising efforts.