Alert archive / Delaware / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 16, 2025Sussex County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at May 16, 2025, 1:52 PM EDT for Sussex County, Delaware. It was in force for 38 min. 1 report 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 16, 2025, 1:52 PM EDT (17:52 UTC)
Expired: May 16, 2025, 2:30 PM EDT
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.0 in

County Sussex County, DE

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 16 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:53 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 16, 2:31 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	1 Se Millsboro, DE	Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.).

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

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 16, 10:06 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Wallops Is Stn, VA (KWAL), launched 12:00Z, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 84 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: 1302 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 868 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 71 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 197 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: -0.1
Supercell composite: -0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

906 
WFUS51 KPHI 161752
TORPHI
DEC005-161830-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0013.250516T1752Z-250516T1830Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
152 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Sussex County in southern Delaware...

* Until 230 PM EDT.

* At 152 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Georgetown, moving east at 15 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* Locations impacted include...
  Georgetown and Millsboro.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3869 7553 3876 7550 3874 7520 3853 7532
TIME...MOT...LOC 1752Z 280DEG 11KT 3871 7542 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN

$$

Staarmann

2 follow-up statements

778 
WWUS51 KPHI 161805
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
205 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025

DEC005-161830-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250516T1830Z/
Sussex DE-
205 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
SUSSEX COUNTY...

At 205 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Georgetown, moving southeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
Georgetown and Millsboro.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3866 7549 3873 7546 3872 7521 3853 7532
TIME...MOT...LOC 1805Z 295DEG 16KT 3867 7535 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN

$$

Staarmann

999 
WWUS51 KPHI 161815
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
215 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025

DEC005-161830-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-250516T1830Z/
Sussex DE-
215 PM EDT Fri May 16 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM EDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL SUSSEX COUNTY...

At 215 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Millsboro, or near Georgetown, moving southeast at
15 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
Georgetown and Millsboro.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3862 7544 3869 7543 3870 7522 3853 7532
TIME...MOT...LOC 1815Z 307DEG 14KT 3863 7533 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN

$$

Staarmann

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 15, 9:34 PM EDT	Dense Fog Advisory	PHI	Kent, New Castle, Sussex	12 hr
May 16, 11:16 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	New Castle	59 min
May 16, 11:32 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	4 hr
May 16, 12:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	New Castle	40 min
May 16, 2:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Sussex	42 min
May 16, 2:23 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Sussex	52 min
May 16, 6:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	PHI	Kent, New Castle, Sussex	70 min
May 16, 6:56 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Sussex	34 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Delaware, 2025 Every tornado warning in 2025 Tornadoes 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.