Emergency alerts were not received by many Delaware tornado victims

Many of the victims of the April 1 EF3 tornado that damaged dozens of homes in southern Delaware last weekend, killing one resident, had no warning, despite an emergency alert sent by forecasters.

The National Weather Service’s Wireless Emergency Alert was issued at 6:01 p.m., but it was not broadcast to parts of Sussex and Kent counties, said Maureen O’Leary, a spokesperson with the National Weather Service in response to questions from Delaware Online/The News Journal.

“We are investigating the root cause of the issue,” she wrote.

The tornado damaged over 60 homes and other buildings in the Bridgeville, Greenwood and Ellendale area and killed 78-year-old Daniel Bawel. It was the first EF3 tornado in Delaware since 1961, and Bawel’s death was the first caused by a tornado in Delaware in 40 years.

More:‘Everything’s gone’: Victims and witnesses recount Greenwood-area tornado

Wireless Emergency Alerts automatically sent to cellphones

Wireless Emergency Alerts do not require signup and are automatically sent to cellphones in the area of an emergency. They are “broadcast using radio-like technology from cell towers in, and sometimes around, the actual warning area,” according to the National Weather Service website.