Delaware, 1999

Flash Flood in Delaware, May 24, 1999

May 24, 1999 · NWS PHI · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A series of three thunderstorms brought too much heavy rain for area streams and rivers to handle. During the late afternoon, the third thunderstorm of the day, caused flooding along the Christina River.

Where it happened

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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.

A series of three thunderstorms brought too much heavy rain for area streams and rivers to handle. During the late afternoon, the third thunderstorm of the day, caused flooding along the Christina River. At Coochs Bridge, the Christina River reached its 9 foot flood stage from 5 p.m. EDT through 730 p.m. EDT. It crested at 9.65 feet at 6 p.m. EDT. Storm totals averaged between 2 and 3 inches and in addition to the stream flooding, caused considerable highway and poor drainage flooding. Storm totals included 2.76 inches in Wilmington, 2.29 inches at the New Castle County Airport and 2.00 inches at Newark. No serious injuries or damage 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
May 24, 4:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where
New Castle County, North Portion
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
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

More

Every storm in Delaware in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Delaware, May 1999

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: 5699505.