Flash Flood in Delaware, December 2, 1996

Name: Flash Flood in Delaware, December 2, 1996
Start: 1996-12-02T02:00
End: 1996-12-02T08:30
Location: Delaware

December 2, 1996 · NWS PHI · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Rain that fell from the afternoon of December 1st into the morning of the 2nd caused flooding along the Christina River. The heaviest rain fell during the early morning of the 2nd.

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

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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.

Rain that fell from the afternoon of December 1st into the morning of the 2nd caused flooding along the Christina River. The heaviest rain fell during the early morning of the 2nd. The Christina River at Cooch's Bridge crested at 10.6 feet at 515 a.m. EST on the 2nd. It was above its 9 foot flood stage from 2 a.m. EST through 830 a.m. EST on the second. Storm totals included 2.20 inches in Pennyhill, 1.87 inches at the New Castle County Airport and 1.6 inches in Odessa. No serious damage or injuries were reported.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, New Castle

When: December 2, 2:00 AM EST to 8:30 AM EST
Where: New Castle County, Northern
Coordinates: 39.578, -75.639 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

Every storm in Delaware in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Delaware, December 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: 5576728.