Alert archive / Delaware / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 25, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

August 20, 2026Kent County, Delaware

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this tornado warning at Aug 20, 2026, 4:16 PM EDT for Kent County, Delaware. It was in force for 29 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: Aug 20, 2026, 4:16 PM EDT (20:16 UTC)
Expired: Aug 20, 2026, 4:45 PM EDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Kent County, DE

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 40 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:14 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
Aug 20, 2:31 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr
Aug 20, 2:58 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 170 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: 97 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -72 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1192 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 230 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: -0.0
Supercell composite: -0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

808 
WFUS51 KPHI 202016
TORPHI
DEC001-202045-
/O.NEW.KPHI.TO.W.0025.260820T2016Z-260820T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
Issued by National Weather Service New York NY
416 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Kent County in central Delaware...

* Until 445 PM EDT.

* At 416 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Dover, moving east at 25 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...
  Dover, Dover Speedway, Dover Base Housing, Little Creek, Leipsic,
  Kent Acres, and Rodney Village.

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 3913 7553 3924 7556 3928 7540 3926 7539
      3913 7538 3910 7538
TIME...MOT...LOC 2016Z 268DEG 24KT 3917 7549 

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

$$

Staarmann

2 follow-up statements

537 
WWUS51 KPHI 202024
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
Issued by National Weather Service New York NY
424 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

DEC001-202045-
/O.CON.KPHI.TO.W.0025.000000T0000Z-260820T2045Z/
Kent DE-
424 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN KENT COUNTY...

At 424 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Dover Base Housing, or near Dover, moving east at 25
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...
Dover and Little Creek.

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 3915 7548 3925 7550 3928 7540 3926 7539
      3915 7538 3912 7539
TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 268DEG 24KT 3916 7542 

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

$$

Staarmann

990 
WWUS51 KPHI 202035
SVSPHI

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
Issued by National Weather Service New York NY
435 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

DEC001-202045-
/O.EXP.KPHI.TO.W.0025.000000T0000Z-260820T2045Z/
Kent DE-
435 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN KENT COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
445 PM EDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area over 
Delaware Bay. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT for central
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 3915 7548 3925 7550 3928 7540 3926 7539
      3915 7538 3912 7539
TIME...MOT...LOC 2035Z 268DEG 24KT 3916 7535 

$$

Staarmann

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 20, 4:50 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	PHI	New Castle	40 min
Aug 20, 5:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	PHI	New Castle	48 min
Aug 20, 5:39 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	PHI	New Castle	4 hr
Aug 20, 5:39 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Kent	36 min
Aug 20, 5:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent	50 min
Aug 20, 6:03 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	PHI	Kent	42 min
Aug 20, 6:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent, New Castle	51 min
Aug 20, 6:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	New Castle	47 min
Aug 20, 6:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent, Sussex	39 min
Aug 20, 6:53 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning Considerable damage threat	PHI	Kent	105 min
Aug 20, 6:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Kent, Sussex	48 min

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.