KinwarnDelaware tornado warnings
The National Weather Service issued 55 tornado warnings, 623 severe thunderstorm warnings and 136 flash flood warnings for Delaware from 2016 to 2025, about 5.5, 62 and 14 a year. That ranks 37th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Sussex County had the most of any county: 28 tornado warnings.
Delaware warnings and radar right now
Checking the National Weather Service for Delaware…
Delaware counties ranked by tornado warnings
Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.
| County | Tornado warnings | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | 28 | 253 | 44 | 28 |
| New Castle County | 19 | 334 | 82 | 28 |
| Kent County | 16 | 295 | 37 | 25 |
Delaware warnings by year
Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.
Tornadoes since 1950
78 tornadoes have been recorded in Delaware since 1950. They killed 3 people and injured 76. July had the most (22).
| Year | Tornado | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Oct 19 | 11 | 94 | 21 |
| 2025 | 8 | 63 | 23 |
| 2024 | 6 | 33 | 12 |
| 2023 | 7 | 80 | 17 |
| 2022 | 1 | 46 | 1 |
| 2021 | 11 | 63 | 12 |
| 2020 | 15 | 85 | 15 |
| 2019 | 5 | 103 | 10 |
| 2018 | 0 | 35 | 28 |
| 2017 | 2 | 62 | 12 |
| 2016 | 0 | 53 | 6 |
| 2015 | 0 | 36 | 8 |
| 2014 | 2 | 38 | 8 |
| 2013 | 4 | 33 | 17 |
| 2012 | 1 | 46 | 9 |
| 2011 | 7 | 67 | 13 |
| 2010 | 2 | 48 | 5 |
| 2009 | 2 | 55 | 9 |
| 2008 | 2 | 56 | 7 |
What stands out in Delaware
2020 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in Delaware since 2008, with 15 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2018, with 28.
No warning for Delaware has been raised to a tornado emergency or a flash flood emergency since 2008. Those are the rare warnings the Weather Service issues when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.
4 severe thunderstorm warnings for Delaware carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.
2 tornadoes in Delaware since 1950 were rated F3 or EF3, the strongest recorded there. The most recent was on April 1, 2023.
National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.
States next to Delaware
Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.
- Pennsylvania 445 tornado warnings
- Maryland 256 tornado warnings
- New Jersey 111 tornado warnings
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Delaware tornado warnings: questions people ask
How many tornado warnings does Delaware get a year?
About 5.5 a year: the National Weather Service issued 55 tornado warnings for Delaware from 2016 to 2025, 37th of 52 states and territories.
Which Delaware county gets the most tornado warnings?
Sussex County has the most: 28 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of New Castle County with 19. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.
Which Delaware city gets the most tornado warnings?
Pike Creek Valley has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 6 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.
When is tornado season in Delaware?
July and August: 47% of the 78 tornadoes recorded in Delaware since 1950 came in those two months.
About these numbers
Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a Delaware county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · Delaware data (CSV)
Cite: Kinwarn. “Delaware tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/delaware. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.
Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts