80
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$4.0M
Property damage
Lightning in Sussex County, Delaware: 80 recorded events between 1998 and 2022. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #9 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Lightning in Sussex County, Delaware: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for lightning in Sussex County is the 2000s, when 48 of the county's 80 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Sussex County archive, lightning makes up 9.4% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #9 for this hazard and #1 within Delaware, putting it in the 99.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Aug is the peak month for lightning in Sussex County with 23 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13, 2001 | REHOBOTH BEACH | 0 | 0 | 2 | $10K |
| Jun 9, 2021 | ANGOLA BEACH | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2001 | LAUREL | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 7, 1998 | OCEAN VIEW | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2022 | MILLVILLE | 0 | $1K |
| Aug 26, 2021 | SEAFORD | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | SYCAMORE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | OCEAN VIEW | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | MILLVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | BETHANY BEACH | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | OCEAN VIEW | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | ANGOLA BEACH | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | CLARKSVILLE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 9, 2021 | ROSEDALE BEACH | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Sussex County
- Thunderstorm Wind 367
- Heavy Rain 192
- Flash Flood 68
- Hail 48
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A lightning strike quickly caused a fire at a house on Avalon Road in Georgetown. When firefighters from five separate companies arrived, the rear of the home was already engulfed in flames and the fire had extended to a nearby storage shed. Two people were home at the time of the lightning strike and escaped before being injured. Damage to the home was estimated at $300,000.
In Rehoboth Beach, a lightning strike and ensuing fire caused about an estimated $250,000 in damage to a house on Coventry Lane in the Rehoboth Beach Yacht and Country Club development. Lightning apparently struck the attic of the home. Six fire companies fought the blaze.
Lightning struck a few homes across Sussex County between 330 p.m. EDT and 415 p.m. EDT on the 28th. A lightning strike and ensuing fire damaged a Kelley Circle home near Seaford. In addition to wind damage elsewhere, lightning struck a home on Clayton Street in Frankford. The ensuing fire damaged the outer wall of the home. Three fire companies assisted in battling the blaze. The worst reported damage occurred to a home struck by lightning in Lewes. Lightning struck a home in the Bay Crossing Community on Anchor Way. Four fire companies fought the ensuing blaze which caused heavy damage to the second floor and roof of the home. No serious injuries were reported with any of the fires.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many lightning events are on record in Sussex County, Delaware?
80 lightning events are recorded in Sussex County between 1998 and 2022, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest lightning recorded in Sussex County?
The strongest lightning on record in Sussex County measured 0.
Where does the lightning data for Sussex County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Lightning in Sussex County, Delaware.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/delaware/sussex-county/lightning/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.