Hail and Damaging Winds in Delaware, March 29, 1997

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Delaware, March 29, 1997
Start: 1997-03-29T15:05
End: 1997-03-29T15:15
Location: Delaware

March 29, 1997 · NWS PHI · 3 events in 1 county or zone

A severe thunderstorm caused wind damage in two communities in Sussex County and dropped quarter size hail in Oak Orchard that covered the ground. Maximum wind gusts were estimated at 70 mph.

Where it happened

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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: 3

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 severe thunderstorm caused wind damage in two communities in Sussex County and dropped quarter size hail in Oak Orchard that covered the ground. Maximum wind gusts were estimated at 70 mph. In Georgetown, the severe thunderstorm caused a spotty damage path of about two miles long. A swimming pool was pushed in and a television antenna was knocked down. A few trees were uprooted. At the Sussex County Airport, two tractor trailers were tipped over.In Gumboro, the damage path of the severe thunderstorm was also about two miles long. Four mobile homes were damaged. A large window was blown into one home with part of its roof peeled away. A second mobile home was knocked off its support by a distance of two feet. Near it several trees were snapped, a shed was overturned and a road sign was pushed over. The third and fourth mobile homes were heavily damaged as they were knocked off their support, one by three feet. Several trees were also uprooted in that area. In addition to the mobile home damage, a few small sections of a metal roof of a chicken house were peeled off.

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 17 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:03 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sussex

When: March 29, 3:05 PM EST to 3:10 PM EST
Where: Sussex County, Georgetown
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 38.680, -75.380

Thunderstorm Wind, Sussex

When: March 29, 3:05 PM EST to 3:10 PM EST
Where: Sussex County, Gumboro
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 38.480, -75.370

Hail, Sussex

When: March 29, 3:15 PM EST
Where: Sussex County, Oak Orchard
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 38.600, -75.180

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Delaware in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Delaware, March 1997

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: 5599825, 5599826, 5599827.