PlainHazard

Delaware lightning

Every recorded lightning record since 1996 · 3 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 145 lightning records in Delaware from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 5.8 a year since 2000. The costliest was the August 30, 2003 lightning ($1.3 million in 2025 dollars). Delaware ranks 35th of 52 states and territories by count and 2nd of 51 per square mile.

Lightning in Delaware, 1996 to 2026

Lightning 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
1451996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000
5.8average
Deaths
013 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$9.4Mas filed
Busiest year
200414 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 lightning records common in Delaware?

Delaware averages about 5.8 lightning records a year since 2000, 35th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2004 (14). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Delaware records 744 lightning records since 1996, 2nd of 51 states and territories by that measure.

  1. 1. New Jersey 859
  2. 2. Delaware 744
  3. 3. Massachusetts 642
  4. 4. Rhode Island 571
  5. 5. Connecticut 353
  6. 6. Florida 331
  7. 7. Maryland 322
  8. 8. New Hampshire 232
  9. 9. Georgia 228
  10. 10. Puerto Rico 175

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 lightning records?

Per square mile, New Castle County leads Delaware: 40 days with a lightning record since 1996, 93.8 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Sussex County has the most lightning records (81 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 93.8 (49)
  2. Sussex County 60.9 (81)
  3. Kent County 25.6 (15)

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 lightning season in Delaware?

51% of its lightning records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is August (39 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 0 · Mar 0 · Apr 15 · May 12 · Jun 33 · Jul 35 · Aug 39 · Sep 11 · Oct 0 · Nov 0 · Dec 0 (records).

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

The costliest lightning records in Delaware

Delaware: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2003-08-30 LightningDagsboro, Sussex County 0 0 $1.3M
2004-06-17 LightningHockessin, New Castle County 0 0 $781K
2007-07-10 LightningGeorgetown, Sussex County One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 0 0 $712K
2008-07-23 LightningKirkwood, New Castle County 0 1 $685K
2002-07-19 LightningBethany Beach, Sussex County 0 0 $410K
2012-08-26 LightningDelmar, Sussex County 0 0 $386K
2009-06-09 LightningRehoboth Beach, Sussex County 0 0 $344K
2001-08-10 LightningSeaford, Sussex County 0 0 $333K

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

Are lightning 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.

Lightning: Delaware and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
DecadeDelawareUnited StatesDelaware's share
1996-99113,5210.3%
2000s878,0521.1%
2010s295,1030.6%
2020-26181,5441.2%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent lightning records in Delaware

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-27 LightningPhillips Hill, Sussex County 0 0 $10K
2025-06-30 LightningDeleware City, New Castle County 0 0 $1K
2025-06-30 LightningWilmington, New Castle County 0 0 $1K
2025-06-30 LightningMc Donough, New Castle County 0 0 $1K
2021-06-09 LightningAngola Beach, Sussex County 0 1 –
2019-08-01 LightningRoseville Park, New Castle County 0 2 –
2012-08-26 LightningDelmar, Sussex County 0 0 $386K
2012-08-03 LightningBelvidere, New Castle County 0 4 –
2011-06-10 LightningFarmington, Kent County 0 1 $262K
2009-06-09 LightningRehoboth Beach, Sussex County 0 0 $344K
2008-07-23 LightningKirkwood, New Castle County 0 1 $685K
2007-07-28 LightningSeaford, Sussex County 0 0 $285K

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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