Drought in Delaware

Events

207

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Damage

$29 million

• Drought in Delaware, September 1 to 17, 1999$29 million · 4 eventsThe drought that gripped the Middle Atlantic States throughout much of the growing season eased in mid August. Normal, and in some cases, heavier than normal rainfall returned.
• Drought in Delaware, June 30, 19974 eventsJune 1997 was drier than normal throughout Delaware. On a county weighted average, deficits averaged between 1 and 2 inches in New Castle and Sussex Counties. Only Kent County was within an inch of normal.
• Drought in Delaware, August 31, 19984 eventsUnseasonably dry weather continued to take its toll on crops across the Delmarva Peninsula during the month of August.
• Drought in Delaware, September 30, 19984 eventsSeptember 1998 continued the trend of both warmer and drier than normal weather across the Delmarva Peninsula. The dry weather reduced the yields on crops throughout the region.
• Drought in Delaware, November 30, 19984 eventsUnseasonably dry weather continued through the month of November across Delaware. On a county weighted average only 1.2 to 1.4 inches of precipitation fell during the month.
• Drought in Delaware, July 31, 19984 eventsJuly 1998 started a run of drier than normal weather across much of Delaware. On a county weighted average, rainfall totals for the month of July were between 1.7 and 2.4 inches and averaged about half of normal. The driest conditions occurred across Sussex County.
• Drought in Delaware, December 14 to 31, 19984 eventsThe run of unseasonably dry weather that began in July started to take its toll on water supplies throughout the Middle Atlantic States. As December continued to be unseasonably dry, even drier than the previous months in the headwater region, reservoir levels continued to fall.
• Drought in Delaware, October 31, 19984 eventsThe run of unseasonably dry weather continued across Delaware, especially in the northern half of the state. This was the fourth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for many areas.
• Drought in Delaware, December 31, 19984 eventsDecember continued the trend of drier than normal weather, especially in the northern part of the state. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation was 94 percent of normal in Sussex County, but only 34 percent of normal in New Castle County.
• Drought in Delaware, July 31, 19994 eventsJuly 1999 continued the trend of extremely warm and dry weather across Delaware. The state mean average temperature of 79.1 degrees for July 1999 was the third warmest July on record dating back to 1895.
• Drought in Delaware, July 1 to 31, 19994 eventsThe drought intensified throughout July across Delaware. For the fourth consecutive month, below normal precipitation continued.
• Drought in Delaware, May 1 to 31, 19994 eventsUnseasonably dry weather returned to Delaware during the month of May, especially in Kent and Sussex Counties. The state received only 61 percent of its normal monthly rainfall for May making it the 29th driest May in the past 105 years.
• Drought in Delaware, August 1 to 31, 19994 eventsThe drought continued throughout the first half of August across Delaware. Crops were decimated. It was estimated that 70 percent of the hay crop, 50 percent of the corn crop and 30 percent of the soybean crop were lost.
• Drought in Delaware, June 1 to 30, 19994 eventsUnseasonably dry weather continued throughout the month of June across Delaware. On a county weighted average June monthly precipitation averaged between 1.8 and 2.3 inches and was only about 55 percent of normal. Only the Dover local area came close to normal precipitation.
• Drought in Delaware, October 31, 20004 eventsOctober 2000 was one of the driest Octobers on record across the state of Delaware. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation totals were 0.1 inches in Kent and Sussex County and 0.5 inches in New Castle County. Normal monthly precipitation is around 3.2 inches.
• Drought in Delaware, April 30, 20014 eventsApril 2001 was an unseasonably dry month for the state of Delaware, especially during the second half of the month when very little rain fell.
• Drought in Delaware, May 1 to 20, 20014 eventsUnseasonably dry weather continued across southern Delaware through May 18th and northern Delaware through May 19th. Little, if any, precipitation fell across the state during the first 18 days of the month. It continued a trend that had prevailed since the second half of April.
• Drought in Delaware, October 1 to 31, 20014 eventsOctober 2001 was an unseasonably dry month across the state of Delaware. On a county weighted average, monthly precipitation totals ranged between 0.9 and 1.2 inches, about 33 percent of normal. Normal monthly precipitation is around 3.2 inches.
• Drought in Delaware, November 1 to 30, 20014 eventsNovember 2001 continued the trend of unseasonably dry weather for Delaware. Streams that provide drinking water for New Castle County approached record low levels during the month. Most other streams in the state were also near record low levels.
• Drought in Delaware, December 1 to 31, 20014 eventsDecember 2001 marked the sixth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for most of Delaware. While more precipitation fell in December than in October or November, it was still only about 60 percent of normal.
• Drought in Delaware, November 1 to 25, 20024 eventsAn unseasonably wet November ended the meteorological drought across Delaware. A series of northeasters on November 5th and 6th, November 11th and 12th, November 16th and 17th dropped more precipitation than is normal for the month of November.
• Drought in Delaware, September 1 to 30, 20024 eventsDelaware entered September with continuing drought conditions. Many daily, monthly and all time record low levels for streamflow and groundwater levels were being set and an outdoor burning ban was in effect.
• Drought in Delaware, February 1 to 28, 20024 eventsFebruary 2002 marked the eighth consecutive month of below normal precipitation for most of Delaware. The July 2001 through February 2002 period was the driest July through February on record.
• Drought in Delaware, January 1 to 31, 20024 eventsJanuary 2002 marked the seventh consecutive month of below normal precipitation for most of Delaware. While more precipitation fell in January than in any month since September, it was still drier than normal.
• Drought in Delaware, March 1 to 31, 20024 eventsDelaware entered arch 2002 with considerably dry conditions. Twenty-one of the thirty gaged streams in Maryland and Delaware as well as seven of the seventeen monitored groundwater wells were at record low levels.

Drought everywhereEvery kind of event in Delaware

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.