Delaware, 2002

Drought in Delaware, May 1 to 31, 2002

May 1 to 31, 2002 · NWS PHI · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

7 inches). 9 inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

May monthly precipitation across Delaware was drier than normal in Sussex County (2.9 inches on a county weighted average), near normal in Kent County (4.0 inches) and wetter than normal in New Castle County (4.7 inches). Normal is around 3.9 inches. Monthly precipitation totals at the New Castle County Airport was 3.40 inches and in Georgetown (Sussex County) was 2.50 inches. The drought warning remained in effect for the state. Governor Ruth Ann Minner continued to ask residents to voluntarily conserve water by restricting all non-essential uses such as washing cars and using wise water habits such as running the dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads. The Delaware River Basin Commission continued its drought emergency for the entire Delaware River drainage basin. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River increased from 62.5 percent of capacity on May 1st to 81.2 percent of capacity on June 1st. Normal for June 1st is 99.5 percent of capacity. For the first time since last October, reservoir storage was within the normal range. Under law, the Delaware River Basin Commission drought emergency declaration could not be lifted until reservoir levels remained 40 billion gallons above the drought watch level for 30 days. This was not achieved as of May 31st.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 8:45 PM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 8:45 PM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
945 PM EDT TUE APR 30 2002

DISC: RADAR LOOP PRETTY MUCH IN AGREEMENT WITH MESO ETA. WILL MAKE
CHANGES TO REFLECT ENDING OF THE SHOWERS.

ONLY OTHER CHANGE IS RAISING SCA FOR SOUTHERN AREAS.

OTHERWISE...HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AND SEE YA AT 330 AM.

EBERWINE

.PHI...
DE...NONE.
MD...NONE.
NJ...SCA IN EFFECT FOR SNJ COAST 452>455 AND LOWER BAY 431.
PA...NONE.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Delaware Beaches

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Delaware Beaches forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
38.683, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Inland Sussex

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Inland Sussex forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
38.683, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kent

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
Kent forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
39.096, -75.505 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, New Castle

When
May 1, 12:00 AM EST to May 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where
New Castle forecast zone
Reported by
GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates
39.578, -75.639 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Delaware in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Delaware, May 2002

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: 5298640, 5298641, 5298642, 5298643.