Rip Current in Delaware

Events

31

Deaths

5

Injuries

46

Damage

None recorded

• 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.
• Rip Current in Delaware, August 23 to 29, 19981 death · 1 eventRip currents and large waves associated with Hurricane Bonnie killed one swimmer at Rehoboth Beach and resulted in swimming restrictions up and down the Delaware Coast through the full week of August 23rd.
• Rip Current in Delaware, July 19 to 22, 200120 injured · 1 eventThe combination of a weak low pressure system that traveled east off the Delmarva Coastal Waters on the 18th and 19th, a high pressure system that built into New England and then south toward the Delaware Coast produced rip currents along the Delaware coast.
• Rip Current in Delaware, August 25 to 26, 20011 death · 1 eventA strong high pressure system built into New England on the 25th and 26th. The northeast to east flow around the high and a developing low pressure system well east of Cape Hatteras produced rough surf and rip currents along the Delaware shore.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 29, 20021 death · 1 eventRip currents helped claim the life of a 33-year-old man in Rehoboth Beach. The man and a friend went swimming at 1 a.m. EDT early on the 29th. The friend managed to get away from the current. The body was found at 3 a.m. EDT.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 5 to 6, 20051 death · 1 eventRip currents associated with the northeast flow around a high pressure system building into New England caused the death of a 27-year-old man in Dewey Beach. He was swimming on the unguarded beach with 3 or 4 friends off of McKinley Avenue around 645 p.m.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 3, 20231 death · 1 eventBreaking waves around 3 to 5 feet, multiple swell groups from offshore Hurricane Franklin and Idalia, and a dominant long period onshore swell resulted in dangerous rip currents at the Delaware Beaches. A HIGH risk for rip currents was in effect.
• Rip Current in Delaware, July 27 to 31, 20017 injured · 1 eventFor the second time this month, a high pressure system built into New England and its adjacent coastal waters behind a cold frontal passage on the 27th.
• Rip Current in Delaware, August 1, 20015 injured · 1 eventFor the second time this summer, a high pressure system built into New England and its adjacent coastal waters behind a cold frontal passage on July 27th.
• Coastal Flood and Rip Current in Delaware, August 29 to 31, 19994 injured · 2 eventsThe combination of swells from Hurricane Dennis and a stiff northeast flow caused by a strong high pressure system building over New England produced rip currents and minor tidal flooding the last couple of days in August.
• Rip Current in Delaware, June 28, 20154 injured · 1 eventThe residual effect from the onshore flow on the previous day (the 27th) caused more dangerous rip currents to persist through the 28th along the Delaware beaches. With the return of sunnier weather, numerous water rescues were performed. There also were a few injuries.
• 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.
• Rip Current in Delaware, June 25, 20162 injured · 1 eventTwo people were hospitalized due to injuries on 6/25 from a rip current. This occurred at Bethany Beach.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 17, 20141 injured · 1 eventSwells associated with Hurricane Edouard generated stronger rip currents along the Delaware coast on the 17th. This caused water rescues at Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach as well as the hospitalization of one rescued swimmer from the Houston Street Beach at Dewey Beach.
• Rip Current in Delaware, June 21, 20161 injured · 1 eventTwo lifeguards were knocked off their feet due by a rip current at Bethany Beach during a training exercise.
• Rip Current in Delaware, August 27, 20161 injured · 1 eventSeveral rescues occurred on the 27th from rip currents. However one person suffered a spinal injury due getting caught in a rip current.
• Rip Current in Delaware, August 13, 20171 injured · 1 eventA person was injured by a rip current.
• 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).
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 11, 20011 eventRough surf and rip currents associated with Hurricane Erin pounded the Delaware coast on the 11th. Hurricane Erin's track passed just east of Bermuda. Bathing was banned at most of Rehoboth's beaches.
• Rip Current in Delaware, July 25 to 26, 20021 eventA high pressure system building across New England produced a northeast flow along the Delaware Beaches and increased both the number and intensity of rip currents along the beach. Dozens of rescues were performed because of the currents, but there were no reported injuries.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 3 to 7, 20041 eventThe combination of swells from Hurricane Frances and a high pressure system that built into New England and the Canadian Maritimes caused rip currents to occur throughout the Labor Day weekend.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 16 to 17, 20051 eventRip currents associated with Tropical Storm Ophelia occurred on the 16th along the Delaware oceanic beaches. There were no reports of injuries or water rescues.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 16 to 17, 20061 eventAn elderly man was rescued by lifeguards after he was caught in a rip current that dragged him about 100 yards offshore in the ocean in Delaware State Park just north of Dewey Beach.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 5 to 6, 20121 eventRip currents associated with the strong long period swells from Tropical Storm Leslie affected the Delaware coast on the 5th and 6th.
• Rip Current in Delaware, September 16, 20121 eventRip currents associated with the strong long period swells from Hurricane Nadine affected the Delaware coast peaking on the 16th.

Rip Current 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.