Alert archive / Delaware / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 23, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 28, 2026Sussex County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Jul 28, 2026, 8:08 PM EDT for Sussex County, Delaware. It was in force for 26 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, 8:08 PM EDT (00:08 UTC)
Expired: Jul 28, 2026, 8:34 PM EDT
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Sussex County, DE

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 31 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:10 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, 8:19 PM EDT	TSTM WND GST 63	3 Nnw Long Neck, DE	Personal Weather Station: KDEHARBE3.

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, 2:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	9 hr
Jul 28, 4:20 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 198 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: 324 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -127 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1059 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 83 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

286 
WFUS51 KPHI 290008
TORPHI
DEC005-290045-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0023.260729T0008Z-260729T0045Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  East central Sussex County in southern Delaware...

* Until 845 PM EDT.

* At 808 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms capable of producing a tornado
  were located along a line extending from 6 miles southeast of
  Milton to near Millsboro, moving east at 35 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...
  Henlopen Acres, Long Neck, and Dewey Beach.

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 these storms, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 3876 7506 3854 7503 3861 7527 3874 7527
TIME...MOT...LOC 0008Z 279DEG 32KT 3871 7524 3863 7523 

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

$$

Staarmann

3 follow-up statements

230 
WWUS51 KPHI 290016
SVSPHI

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

DEC005-290045-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-260729T0045Z/
Sussex DE-
816 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL SUSSEX COUNTY...

At 815 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes
were located along a line extending from near Henlopen Acres to near
Millville, moving east at 35 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...
Henlopen Acres, Long Neck, and Dewey Beach.

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 these storms, and may lead to
flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 3876 7506 3854 7503 3859 7520 3873 7523
TIME...MOT...LOC 0015Z 269DEG 32KT 3870 7518 3863 7515 

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

$$

Staarmann

815 
WWUS51 KPHI 290023
SVSPHI

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

DEC005-290045-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-260729T0045Z/
Sussex DE-
823 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL SUSSEX COUNTY...

At 822 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado 
was located over Indian River Bay, or 16 miles east of Georgetown, 
moving east 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...
Henlopen Acres, Long Neck, Ocean View, Indian River Inlet, Rehoboth 
Beach, and Dewey Beach.

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 3856 7511 3858 7515 3873 7516 3876 7506
      3854 7503
TIME...MOT...LOC 0022Z 273DEG 26KT 3867 7509 

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

$$

Staarmann

931 
WWUS51 KPHI 290034
SVSPHI

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

DEC005-290044-
/O.CAN.KPHI.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-260729T0045Z/
Sussex DE-
834 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL SUSSEX COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area 
offshore. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.  However heavy 
rain is still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT for southern
Delaware.

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 3856 7511 3858 7515 3873 7516 3876 7506
      3854 7503
TIME...MOT...LOC 0033Z 279DEG 32KT 3865 7495 

$$

Staarmann

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Delaware, 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.