Flash Flood, New Castle
- When
- August 13, 6:25 AM EST to 9:25 AM EST
- Where
- New Castle County, Northern
- Coordinates
- 39.578, -75.639 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood in Delaware, August 13, 1996
A low pressure system that developed along the Gulf Coast states Monday morning the 12th moved northeast and passed through the Delmarva Peninsula the morning of the 13th. It tapped the abundant moisture over the South and consequently produced heavy rain across all of Delaware.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.
A low pressure system that developed along the Gulf Coast states Monday morning the 12th moved northeast and passed through the Delmarva Peninsula the morning of the 13th. It tapped the abundant moisture over the South and consequently produced heavy rain across all of Delaware. The heavy rain in turn caused flooding of a number of streams and rivers in the northern half of New Castle County. The Christina River at Cooch's Bridge reached its flood stage of 9 feet at 330 a.m. EDT on the 13th. It crested at 10.83 feet at 745 a.m. EDT and was back within bankfull by noon. The White Clay Creek at Delaware Park reached its flood stage of 13 feet at 530 a.m. EDT and crested at 13.2 feet at 915 a.m. EDT. It was back within flood stage at 115 p.m. EDT. The Red Clay Creek at Wooddale reached its flood stage of 5.5 feet at 725 a.m. EDT. It crested at 5.96 feet at 9 a.m. EDT and was back within bankfull at 1025 a.m. EDT. No serious injuries or damage was reported. Storm totals in New Castle County included 2.8 inches in Newark, 2.75 inches at the New Castle County Airport and 2.3 inches in Pennyhill.
The radar
The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:22 UTC.
Event by event
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado in Florida, August 13, 1996
- Flooding in Virginia, August 13 to 15, 1996
- Flooding in Virginia, August 13 to 14, 1996
- Flood in North Carolina, August 13 to 14, 1996
- Flash Flood in Delaware, August 13, 1996
- Strong Wind in Delaware, August 13, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, August 13, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, August 13, 1996
- Hail in Minnesota, August 13, 1996
- Wildfire in Oregon, August 13 to 31, 1996
- Hail in Minnesota, August 13, 1996
- Hail in Minnesota, August 13, 1996
More
Every storm in Delaware in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Delaware, August 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5571065.