Alert archive / Delaware / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 28, 2026New Castle County, Delaware; Chester County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Jul 28, 2026, 6:16 PM EDT for New Castle County, Delaware; Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 29 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: Jul 28, 2026, 6:16 PM EDT (22:16 UTC)
Expired: Jul 28, 2026, 6:45 PM EDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties New Castle County, DE, Chester County, PA

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 108 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:20 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
Jul 28, 6:35 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	New Garden, PA	Large Limb partially blocking lane near 236 Bucktoe Road. Time estimated from radar.

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
Jul 28, 12:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr
Jul 28, 4:20 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 165 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: 710 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -79 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 968 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 174 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

720 
WFUS51 KPHI 282216
TORPHI
DEC003-PAC029-282245-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0020.260728T2216Z-260728T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
616 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern New Castle County in northern Delaware...
  South central Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 645 PM EDT.

* At 615 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Fair Hill, or near Newark, moving northeast at 30
  mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  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...
  Kennett Square, Greenville, Pike Creek, Kemblesville, North Star,
  Landenberg, Hockessin, Ashland, Avondale, and Toughkenamon.

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3974 7593 3991 7567 3978 7554 3970 7579
      3972 7579 3972 7591
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 240DEG 28KT 3973 7586 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Staarmann

2 follow-up statements

296 
WWUS51 KPHI 282226
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
626 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

DEC003-PAC029-282245-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-260728T2245Z/
New Castle DE-Chester PA-
626 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN NEW CASTLE AND SOUTH CENTRAL CHESTER COUNTIES...

At 626 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Landenberg, or near Newark, moving northeast at 30
mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

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...
Kennett Square, Greenville, Pike Creek, North Star, Landenberg,
Hockessin, Ashland, Avondale, and Toughkenamon.

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3979 7585 3991 7567 3978 7554 3970 7579
      3972 7579
TIME...MOT...LOC 2226Z 240DEG 28KT 3977 7576 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Staarmann

446 
WWUS51 KPHI 282236
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
636 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

DEC003-PAC029-282245-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-260728T2245Z/
New Castle DE-Chester PA-
636 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR NORTH
CENTRAL NEW CASTLE AND SOUTH CENTRAL CHESTER COUNTIES...

At 636 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Ashland, or 9 miles northwest of Wilmington, moving
northeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

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...
Kennett Square, Greenville, Pike Creek, Hockessin, Ashland, North
Star, Avondale, and Toughkenamon.

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3978 7572 3981 7582 3991 7567 3978 7554
      3973 7570
TIME...MOT...LOC 2236Z 240DEG 28KT 3981 7567 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

Staarmann

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 28, 5:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	New Castle	61 min
Jul 28, 5:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent	52 min
Jul 28, 6:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent, New Castle	52 min
Jul 28, 6:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	New Castle	67 min
Jul 28, 6:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	PHI	Kent, New Castle	67 min
Jul 28, 6:46 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	New Castle	29 min
Jul 28, 6:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent	50 min
Jul 28, 6:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent, Sussex	61 min
Jul 28, 7:11 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	3 hr
Jul 28, 7:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Sussex	50 min
Jul 27, 8:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Chester	23 min
Jul 28, 1:02 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton	4 hr
Jul 28, 1:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Lehigh, Northampton	38 min
Jul 28, 1:31 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Northampton	44 min
Jul 28, 1:49 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Monroe, Northampton	26 min
Jul 28, 2:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Northampton	45 min
Jul 28, 5:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Lehigh, Northampton	15 min
Jul 28, 5:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks	34 min
Jul 28, 5:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Northampton	43 min
Jul 28, 5:55 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Berks	3 hr
Jul 28, 6:17 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton	6 hr
Jul 28, 6:56 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton	5 hr
Jul 28, 7:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia	54 min
Jul 28, 7:08 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks, Chester, Montgomery	35 min
Jul 28, 7:24 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Chester	4 hr
Jul 28, 7:31 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Northampton	44 min
Jul 28, 7:55 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	Bucks, Montgomery	4 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Delaware, 2026 Tornado Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.