Lightning in Delaware

Events

145

Deaths

0

Injuries

13

Damage

$6.3 million

• Tornado and Damaging Winds in Delaware, June 30, 20251 death · 1 injured · $3,000 · EF0 · 11 eventsA cold front moved into a warm and unstable airmass, producing strong to severe thunderstorms and damaging wind gusts. A storm along the sea-breeze also produced a brief tornado.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, August 30, 2003$800,000 · 1 eventLightning struck two homes in the Westchester Court development in Dagsboro. When firefighters arrived, they found one of the homes ablaze with flames and smoke coming from the house's roof and above the attached garage.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, July 23, 20081 injured · $500,000 · 1 eventLightning strikes from thunderstorms early on the 23rd caused damage in New Castle County.
• Lightning Strikes in Delaware, July 10, 2007$500,000 · 2 eventsA weak upper air disturbance combined with an unseasonably hot and humid air mass to trigger pulse type thunderstorms during the afternoon of the 10th in Delaware. In addition to being prolific cloud-to-ground lightning producers, a couple of thunderstorms also became severe.
• Lightning Strikes in Delaware, August 25 to 26, 2012$405,000 · 6 eventsLightning strikes from bands of thunderstorms and their ensuing fires caused damage to several homes in Sussex County during the evening of the 25th to just past Midnight EDT.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, June 17, 2004$500,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a Lambert Riding Home in Hockessin (Mill Creek Hundred). The ensuing fire apparently smouldered for a while before it became visible to neighbors about 3 a.m. EDT on the 18th. When firefighters arrived, the home was engulfed in flames.
• Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Delaware, June 9 to 10, 20111 injured · $200,000 · 52 kt wind · 2 eventsThe combination of an unseasonably hot and humid air mass and an approaching cold front helped trigger scattered strong to severe thunderstorms that moved across Delaware during the evening and overnight of the 9th.
• Lightning Strikes in Delaware, June 9, 2009$252,000 · 2 eventsA squall line of strong thunderstorms moved through Delaware during the morning of June 9th. Lightning from the thunderstorms caused a couple of house fires in Rehoboth Beach and Dagsboro.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, July 19, 2002$250,000 · 1 eventThunderstorms produced considerable cloud-to-ground lightning across southeastern Sussex County. The resulting strikes caused several fires from Bethany Beach to Millville. In Millville, six homes were struck by lightning. Two suffered significant damage.
• Tornado and Damaging Winds in Delaware, July 9, 2015$205,000 · EF0 · 4 eventsA line of strong to severe thunderstorms formed in the warm sector of the Maryland panhandle moved through Delaware during the evening on the 9th. The line also spawned an EF-0 tornado in New Castle County. About 3,700 homes and businesses lost power in New Castle County.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, August 10, 2001$200,000 · 1 eventLightning strikes badly damaged two homes in Seaford. A two story wood frame house suffered about $75,000 in damages after a lightning strike ignited a fire. A second lightning strike hit a tree near another Seaford house.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, July 28, 2007$200,000 · 1 eventAn approaching cold front helped trigger a severe thunderstorm and lightning damage in Sussex County on the afternoon of the 28th.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, August 18, 1998$175,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a house in Rehoboth Beach and the ensuing fire badly damaged the house's second floor and attic. No injuries were reported, but damage to the two top floors was estimated at $175,000.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, August 16, 2007$175,000 · 1 eventAn approaching cold front helped trigger thunderstorms that were prolific lightning producers.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, August 11, 2001$160,000 · 1 eventLightning strikes caused fires in three separate wood frame houses in Seaford. One house was completely destroyed, the other two were badly damaged by the fire, heat and smoke. No serious injuries were reported. Damage to the three homes was estimated at $160,000.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, August 11, 2001$150,000 · 1 eventLightning struck the rear of a masonry and wood law office building in Georgetown. The ensuing fire heavily damaged the rear of the building. Damage was estimated at $150,000. No serious injuries were reported.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, July 1, 2009$125,000 · 1 eventA slow moving cold front helped trigger thunderstorms during the night of July 1st that produced both heavy downpours and frequent lightning.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, September 14, 2000$100,000 · 1 eventLightning struck the detached garage of a home on Edgewood Drive in the Countryside Farms Development in Brandywine Hundred. The ensuing fire destroyed the garage and spread to and damaged the home.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, July 9, 2003$100,000 · 1 eventA 48-year-old man died from the ensuing fire after lightning struck his home in Port Penn. The fire engulfed the house. It took seven fire departments one hour to extinguish the blaze.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, August 28, 2003$100,000 · 1 eventA house under construction was struck by lightning during the early morning of the 28th in "The Reserves" development in Ocean View. The ensuing badly damaged the west side of the house in the kitchen area. Damage was estimated at $100,000.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, May 13, 2006$100,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a barn in Townsend. The ensuing blaze destroyed the structure on Cedar Swamp Road. Firefighters arrived to find the barn ablaze and were unable to save it. Damage was estimated at $100,000.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, April 1, 2006$100,000 · 1 eventLightning played havoc in Sussex County, Delaware during the afternoon hours of the 1st. In Bethany Beach at 2:12 PM EST, lightning struck a home causing a fire. The fire was contained to the roof and attic, with about $75,000 in damage.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Delaware, August 21, 2011$75,000 · 67 kt wind · 6 eventsA series of thunderstorms that preceded and accompanied a lee side trough produced strong to locally severe thunderstorms mainly during the late morning and afternoon of the 21st in Delaware.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, May 16, 2004$81,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a chicken house in the town of Frankford and ignited a quick moving fire. Damage was estimated at $81,000.
• Lightning Strike in Delaware, June 21, 2003$80,000 · 1 eventA lightning strike caused an attic and roof fire at Webb's Market on U.S. Route 113 near Frederica. The fire began in the chimney after the lightning struck. The upper floor was used to store a large quantity of Christmas display items and were badly damaged.

Lightning 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.