Alert archive / Delaware / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 40, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2026, 5:18 PM EDT for Kent County, New Castle County, Delaware; Kent County, Queen Anne's County, Maryland. It was in force for 42 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 20, 2026, 5:18 PM EDT (21:18 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 42 min
- Issued by
- NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Kent County, DE, New Castle County, DE, Kent County, MD, Queen Anne's County, MD
The radar
The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:22 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.
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 20, 2:10 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 129 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 47 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -204 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1752 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -79 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -47 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
964
WUUS51 KPHI 202118
SVRPHI
DEC001-003-MDC029-035-202200-
/O.NEW.KPHI.SV.W.0040.260520T2118Z-260520T2200Z/
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
518 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026
The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Southwestern New Castle County in northern Delaware...
Northwestern Kent County in central Delaware...
Northeastern Queen Anne's County in northeastern Maryland...
Kent County in northeastern Maryland...
* Until 600 PM EDT.
* At 518 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Bowleys
Quarters, or 8 miles east of Middle River, moving east at 30 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...
Middletown, Chestertown, Millington, Betterton, Sassafras,
Langford, Newtown, Morgnec, Delaney Corner, Massey, Crumpton,
Kennedyville, Townsend, Galena, and Kingstown.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
In addition to large hail and damaging winds, frequent cloud to
ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors
immediately. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough
to be struck by lightning.
&&
LAT...LON 3928 7620 3929 7617 3932 7618 3934 7616
3933 7614 3934 7614 3937 7611 3936 7588
3938 7582 3938 7577 3953 7578 3954 7573
3930 7568 3924 7570 3915 7627
TIME...MOT...LOC 2118Z 260DEG 28KT 3934 7627
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
Hoeflich1 follow-up statement
348
WWUS51 KPHI 202153
SVSPHI
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
553 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026
DEC001-003-MDC029-035-202203-
/O.EXP.KPHI.SV.W.0040.000000T0000Z-260520T2200Z/
New Castle DE-Kent DE-Queen Anne's MD-Kent MD-
553 PM EDT Wed May 20 2026
...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN NEW CASTLE...
NORTHWESTERN KENT...NORTHEASTERN QUEEN ANNE'S AND KENT COUNTIES WILL
EXPIRE AT 600 PM EDT...
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and has exited the warned area. Therefore, the warning will
be allowed to expire.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for
central and northern Delaware...and northeastern Maryland.
To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service
Mount Holly NJ.
LAT...LON 3928 7620 3929 7617 3932 7618 3934 7616
3933 7614 3934 7614 3937 7611 3936 7588
3938 7582 3938 7577 3953 7578 3954 7573
3930 7568 3924 7570 3915 7627
TIME...MOT...LOC 2153Z 260DEG 28KT 3938 7597
$$
HoeflichThe office that day
Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 4:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | New Castle | 40 min |
| May 20, 5:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | New Castle | 46 min |
| May 20, 5:35 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PHI | New Castle | 40 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Delaware, 2026Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Maryland, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.