Alert archive / Delaware / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 60, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 31, 2025Sussex County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 2025, 2:26 PM EDT for Sussex County, Delaware. It was in force for 49 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 31, 2025, 2:26 PM EDT (18:26 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 2025, 3:15 PM EDT
In force: 49 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

County Sussex County, DE

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:26 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 31, 2:26 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Sse Seaford, DE	Reported tree onto wires. Time estimated from radar.
May 31, 2:26 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Laurel, DE	Trees and wires down around Laurel. Time estimated from radar.
May 31, 2:29 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ssw Delaware Coastal, DE	Reports of wires down on Pine Ln. Time estimated from radar.
May 31, 2:32 PM EDT	HAIL 0.7	Bethel, DE	Dime size hail falling for the last 5 minutes.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 12:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 66 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 974 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -32 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

256 
WUUS51 KPHI 311826
SVRPHI
DEC005-311915-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0060.250531T1826Z-250531T1915Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
226 PM EDT Sat May 31 2025

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Southern Sussex County in southern Delaware...

* Until 315 PM EDT.

* At 225 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Laurel, or 12
  miles east of Hurlock, moving east at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Minor damage to vehicles is possible. Wind damage to 
           roofs, siding, trees, and power lines is possible.

* Locations impacted include...
  Georgetown, Seaford, Millsboro, Laurel, Selbyville, Delmar,
  Dagsboro, Millville, Gumboro, Sycamore, Long Neck, Ocean View,
  Blades, Frankford, South Bethany, and Bethel.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3846 7569 3871 7571 3868 7504 3845 7502
      3846 7505 3845 7505
TIME...MOT...LOC 1825Z 274DEG 33KT 3857 7565 

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

PF

1 follow-up statement

455 
WWUS51 KPHI 311848
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
248 PM EDT Sat May 31 2025

DEC005-311915-
/O.CON.KPHI.SV.W.0060.000000T0000Z-250531T1915Z/
Sussex DE-
248 PM EDT Sat May 31 2025

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 PM EDT
FOR SOUTHEASTERN SUSSEX COUNTY...

At 247 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Millsboro, or
10 miles south of Georgetown, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to vehicles is possible. Wind damage to roofs, 
         siding, trees, and power lines is possible.

Locations impacted include...
Millsboro, Selbyville, Dagsboro, Millville, Sycamore, Gumboro, Long
Neck, Ocean View, Frankford, and South Bethany.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 3846 7554 3865 7554 3868 7504 3845 7502
      3846 7504 3845 7505 3845 7518
TIME...MOT...LOC 1847Z 273DEG 35KT 3855 7533 

HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

PF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 30, 9:04 PM EDT	Wind Advisory	PHI	Kent, New Castle, Sussex	10 hr
May 30, 10:26 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	4 hr
May 30, 10:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	New Castle	49 min
May 30, 10:55 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	New Castle	22 min
May 31, 1:17 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent	43 min
May 31, 1:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Sussex	45 min
May 31, 1:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent, Sussex	48 min
May 31, 2:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent, Sussex	45 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Delaware, 2025 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.