367
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$2.1M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Sussex County, Delaware: 367 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 100. That places the county #269 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Sussex County, Delaware: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Sussex County is the 2020s, when 117 of the county's 367 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, thunderstorm wind makes up 43.2% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #269 for this hazard and #2 within Delaware, putting it in the 91.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Sussex County with 94 recorded events, while Dec 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 1991 | 100 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Mar 27, 1988 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Jul 31, 1985 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Aug 5, 2022 | PEPPER | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 1986 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2026 | CHESTNUT KNOLL | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | DEWEY BEACH | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | LEWES | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | BELLTOWN | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | ANGOLA | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | GEORGETOWN ARPT | 53 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | COOL SPG | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | STOCKLEY | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | BRIDGEVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2026 | BETHEL | 59 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Sussex County
- Heavy Rain 192
- Lightning 80
- 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 severe thunderstorm damaged two county buildings that were under construction at the Inland Bays Wastewater Treatment plant near Millsboro. On one building, a large section of the metal roofing flew off. The second building collapsed. No injuries were reported.
A gust front outrunning a cluster of severe thunderstorms entered near Seaford in western Sussex County at approximately 11:57 pm EDT on the 29th. This gust front produced damaging wind gusts estimated between 65 mph to 70 mph as it traversed eastward across the county. Within approximately 20 minutes of the gust front passage, a potent line of severe thunderstorms tracked eastward through Sussex county, producing another round of destructive wind gusts, estimated from 65 mph to 70 mph. Large tree limbs were reported down across the county, including in Seaford, Lincoln, Lewes, and Millsboro. In addition, multiple downed trees were reported in Selbyville, and a wind gust to 70 mph was estimated in Bridgeville. Severe thunderstorms exited eastern Sussex County, including the town of Lewes, at approximately 1:10 am EDT on the 30th. Measured wind gusts included 69 mph in Dewey Beach and 63 mph in Lewes.
A line of showers was accompanied by damaging winds as it moved through Greenwood around 1 a.m. EST. A radio tower lost part of its antenna, siding was ripped away from a storage center and the price sign and roof of a gas station was damaged. No injuries were reported.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Sussex County, Delaware?
367 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Sussex County between 1957 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Sussex County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Sussex County measured 100.
Where does the thunderstorm wind 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in Sussex County, Delaware.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/delaware/sussex-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.