High Surf in Delaware

Events

24

Deaths

0

Injuries

66

Damage

$100,000

• Rip Current and High Surf in Delaware, July 11 to 16, 200855 injured · 2 eventsEnhanced rip currents and a pounding surf caused by swells from Hurricane Bertha caused many injuries and water rescues along the Delaware coast. The effects of Bertha started on the 11th, peaked on the 13th and 14th and slowly subsided over the next couple of days.
• Coastal Flood and High Wind in Delaware, November 11 to 14, 2009$45 million · 52 kt wind · 6 eventsA powerful nor'easter produced wind gusts nearly as high as 60 mph, widespread moderate tidal flooding, heavy rain and severe beach erosion along the Delaware coast from November 12th through the 14th. Preliminary damage was estimated at 45 million dollars.
• Tropical Storm and Storm Surge in Delaware, September 18 to 20, 2003$27 million · 50 kt wind · 13 eventsTropical Storm Isabel caused tidal flooding up Delaware Bay, heavy rain and strong power outage producing winds. Isabel made landfall as a hurricane near Drum Inlet, North Carolina around 100 p.m. EDT on the 18th and weakened as it tracked farther inland.
• Flooding and Coastal Flood in Delaware, October 28 to 30, 2012$5.5 million · 58 kt wind · 14 eventsPost Tropical Storm Sandy caused an estimated $5.5 million dollars of damage across the three counties in Delaware. The damage estimates from the state were broken down to $2.8 million in New Castle County, $832,000 in Kent County and $1.9 million in Sussex County.
• Flood and Coastal Flood in Delaware, September 1 to 5, 2006$850,000 · 54 kt wind · 17 eventsThe combination of the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernnesto and a large high pressure system over eastern Canada produced heavy rain and flooding, strong and in some cases damaging winds, tidal flooding and beach erosion in Delaware.
• High Surf in Delaware, August 18, 20066 injured · 1 eventRough surf on the 18th along the oceanic beaches of Sussex County caused about a half dozen injuries. People were treated for neck injuries due to the pounding 3 to 4 foot surf. There were also two surf rescues that day.
• High Wind and High Surf in Delaware, September 10 to 11, 2009$55,000 · 52 kt wind · 5 eventsA low pressure system that formed off the Carolina coast on the 6th meandered slowly northeast into the 10th before it started to retrograde toward the Delaware and New Jersey coasts the night of the 10th.
• High Surf in Delaware, August 3 to 4, 20043 injured · 1 eventHeavy surf from swells generated by Hurricane Alex pounded the Delaware coast, especially on the 3rd. Three persons were injured in the Rehoboth Beach waters. A couple of young children were rescued by a resort bartender after they were trapped near a jetty by a rip current.
• Rip Current and High Surf in Delaware, August 21 to 24, 20092 injured · 2 eventsHurricane Bill passed well east of the Mid Atlantic coast during the 22nd, while a cold front was approaching from the west. Swells from Hurricane Bill led to rough surf, erosion and numerous and strong rip currents from Friday the 21st through Monday the 24th.
• Tropical Storm and Storm Surge in Delaware, September 6, 20088 eventsTropical Storm Hanna brought heavy rain and strong winds in Delaware and some minor tidal flooding in Delaware Bay on the 6th. Rain moved into the region during the morning, fell heavy at times in the afternoon and ended during the early evening.
• Coastal Flood and High Surf in Delaware, November 22 to 23, 2006$10,000 · 7 eventsA northeaster brought heavy rain, strong winds, rough surf and tidal flooding to Delaware on the 22nd and 23rd (Thanksgiving Day) and hit Sussex County the hardest. The rain and strong winds arrived together, just before sunrise on the 22nd.
• Coastal Flood and High Surf in Delaware, October 15 to 19, 20094 eventsA pair of nor'easters caused minor to moderate tidal flooding along the ocean and Delaware Bay from the evening high tide of the 15th into the morning high tide of the 19th.
• Storm Surge and High Surf in Delaware, October 21 to 25, 20043 eventsThe combination of a nearly stationary high pressure system over nearby Canada and low pressure systems over the western Atlantic produced six consecutive days of rough surf along the Delaware shore from October 20th through the 25th.
• Storm Surge and High Surf in Delaware, May 24 to 26, 20053 eventsThe combination of a persistent onshore flow and spring tides associated with the departing perigean full moon caused minor tidal flooding during the evening high tides on the 24th and 25th.
• Storm Surge and High Surf in Delaware, October 24 to 25, 20053 eventsThe combination of a developing northeaster and Hurricane Wilma caused minor to moderate tidal flooding along both the ocean and Delaware Bay with the afternoon high tide on the 25th. The wave action also caused severe beach erosion.
• Rip Current and High Surf in Delaware, August 29 to 30, 20092 eventsThe remnants of what once was Tropical Storm Danny passed east of the Delaware Coast during the day on the 29th. In spite of this, enhanced rip currents and heavy surf pounded the Delaware coast for the second consecutive weekend (the 29th and 30th).
• High Surf in Delaware, August 29 to 31, 19961 eventRough surf, associated with Hurricane Edouard affected the Delaware Coast around the Labor Day Weekend. The hurricane passed about 270 miles east of the Delaware Coast the evening of Sunday September 1st.
• High Surf in Delaware, December 5 to 6, 20031 eventA northeaster caused dune damage along coastal Delaware on the 5th and 6th. The combination of the low pressure system moving northeast along the nearby Atlantic and a high pressure system in nearby Canada kept an onshore flow for two days along the Delaware Coast.
• High Surf in Delaware, February 5 to 6, 20051 eventHigh seas, onshore winds and rough surf pounded the Delaware coast during the weekend of February 5th and 6th. The combination damaged the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company's underwater sand-pumping pipeline at the south end of Dewey Beach.
• High Surf in Delaware, November 5 to 6, 20081 eventA nor'easter that developed off the Carolina coast on the night of the 4th caused a pounding surf and beach erosion along the Delaware Coast on the 5th and 6th. The nor'easter formed off the Carolina coast overnight on the 4th and slowly moved northeast.
• High Surf in Delaware, September 2 to 4, 20101 eventHurricane Earl, which passed about 150 miles east of Fenwick Island during the afternoon of September 3rd, generated large swells, heavy surf, enhanced rip currents and caused minor tidal flooding with the afternoon high tide on the 3rd.

High Surf 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.