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Delaware high wind and dust storms

Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 3 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 722 high wind and dust records in Delaware from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 25 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the March 8, 2008 strong wind in Kent County: 3 deaths and $101,000 in damage in 2025 dollars across 3 records. Delaware ranks 43rd of 52 states and territories by count and 4th of 51 per square mile.

High wind and dust storms in Delaware, 1996 to 2026

Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $1 million
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
7221996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
25average
Deaths
45 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$22Mas filed
Busiest year
201268 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are high wind and dust records common in Delaware?

Delaware averages about 25 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 43rd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2012 (68). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Delaware records 3705 high wind and dust records since 1996, 4th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. Rhode Island 7061
  2. 2. New Jersey 4882
  3. 3. Massachusetts 4776
  4. 4. Delaware 3705
  5. 5. Maryland 1330
  6. 6. Connecticut 1301
  7. 7. Vermont 1178
  8. 8. Hawaii 1067
  9. 9. New York 1028
  10. 10. Wyoming 900

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Delaware have the most high wind and dust records?

Per square mile, New Castle County leads Delaware: 162 days with a high wind record since 1996, 380.0 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Sussex County has the most wind records (400 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

  1. New Castle County 380.0 (164)
  2. Kent County 264.5 (158)
  3. Sussex County 219.0 (400)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the windy season in Delaware?

Delaware's high wind and dust records by month. The busiest month is February (145 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 112 · Feb 145 · Mar 103 · Apr 71 · May 22 · Jun 1 · Jul 2 · Aug 1 · Sep 34 · Oct 54 · Nov 59 · Dec 118 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Delaware?

Delaware: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2008-03-08 Strong WindKent County · forecast zone Kent One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. A line of severe thunderstorms that accompanied a cold frontal passage produced wind damage across northern Delaware during the late afternoon of the 8th. The combination of the severe storms and then strong winds which followed caused about 15,000 Delmarva Power and Light customers to lose power. Elsewhere in the ... 46 kt wind 3 0 $101K
2004-12-01 Strong WindSussex County · forecast zone Inland Sussex The combination of a rapidly intensifying low pressure system and a strong cold frontal passage produced peak wind gusts of around 50 mph across Delaware during the second half of the morning and throughout most of the afternoon. Winds increased from the southwest preceding the cold front after 9 a.m. EST, but reached ... 45 kt wind 1 1 $12K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest high wind and dust records in Delaware

Delaware: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2003-09-18 Hurricane Isabel · High WindNew Castle County · forecast zone New Castle 50 kt wind 0 0 $15M
2012-10-29 Hurricane Sandy · High WindNew Castle County · forecast zone New Castle One storm episode: 3 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 58 kt wind 0 0 $1.2M
2003-11-13 High WindNew Castle County · forecast zone New Castle 51 kt wind 0 1 $690K
2008-03-08 Strong WindKent County · forecast zone Kent One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places; the totals are the episode's. 46 kt wind 3 0 $101K
2004-12-01 Strong WindSussex County · forecast zone Inland Sussex 45 kt wind 1 1 $12K
2017-01-23 Strong WindNew Castle County · forecast zone New Castle One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 48 kt wind 0 2 $12

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in Delaware?

Delaware's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

High wind and dust storms: Delaware and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeDelawareUnited StatesDelaware's share
1996-997714,0260.55%
2000s33737,2540.90%
2010s27441,7480.66%
2020-263436,3000.09%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in Delaware

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-02-07 High WindSussex County · forecast zone Delaware Beaches 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindSussex County · forecast zone Delaware Beaches 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindSussex County · forecast zone Delaware Beaches 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-07 High WindNew Castle County · forecast zone New Castle 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-02-16 High WindKent County · forecast zone Kent 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-02-16 High WindSussex County · forecast zone Inland Sussex 58 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-02-16 High WindSussex County · forecast zone Delaware Beaches 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-02-16 High WindSussex County · forecast zone Delaware Beaches 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-02-16 High WindSussex County · forecast zone Delaware Beaches 58 kt wind 0 0 –
2021-04-30 High WindSussex County · forecast zone Delaware Beaches 50 kt wind 0 1 –
2017-01-23 Strong WindSussex County · forecast zone Inland Sussex 48 kt wind 0 1 –
2017-01-23 Strong WindNew Castle County · forecast zone New Castle 48 kt wind 0 1 $12

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.

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