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Delaware · county FIPS 10005
Hail history for Sussex County, DE
Sussex County has 48 recorded hail events in the NOAA Storm Events Database — 35 of them 1″ or larger and 3 at 2″ or larger. The largest on record: 2.25″ (tennis ball) on May 16, 2022.
Mark size = measured hail diameter; slivers are events with no recorded size. Amber ≥2″, red ≥2.75″ (baseball class). Denser recent decades partly reflect better reporting, not only more storms.
When it hails in Sussex County
Recorded events by month, 1950–present. The amber bar marks Sussex County's peak: May.
Most recent recorded events
| Date | Size | Comparable to |
|---|---|---|
| 1.75″ | Golf ball | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter | |
| 0.88″ | Nickel | |
| 0.75″ | Penny | |
| 2.25″ | Tennis ball | |
| 2.0″ | Hen egg | |
| 1.0″ | Quarter |
Looking for a specific storm? Use the did-it-hail date lookup for Sussex County.
From the storm reports
Narratives as filed with the NOAA Storm Events Database (public records; lightly trimmed for length).
· 1.0″ (quarter)
Trained spotter reports quarter-sized hail in Milton DE. Time given in report.
· 2.25″ (tennis ball)
An mPing report. This supercell thunderstorm produced multiple reports of hail at or above 2 inches in diameter.
· 1.25″ (half dollar)
A severe thunderstorm dropped half dollar size hail in Ellendale.
Events by decade
| 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
The climb across decades is largely a reporting story: spotter networks, radar, and digital filing pulled far more storms into the record after the 1990s.
Questions about hail in Sussex County
Has it ever hailed in Sussex County?
Yes — 48 hail events have been recorded for Sussex County, DE in the NOAA Storm Events Database since 1968, including 35 of 1″ (quarter size) or larger.
When did it last hail in Sussex County?
The most recent recorded hail event for Sussex County, DE is May 16, 2025, with 1.75″ (golf ball) hail. The database is currently updated through April 2026, so a storm from the last few weeks may not appear yet. To check a specific day, use the did-it-hail date lookup.
What is the largest hail ever recorded in Sussex County?
2.25″ (tennis ball), recorded on May 16, 2022. Hail that size meets or exceeds the National Weather Service severe threshold. See how big that really is on the actual-size hail chart.
Does a recorded hail event mean my roof was damaged?
No. This page reports storm records, not damage. Hail size and damage vary block by block within a county, and only an inspection can establish what happened to a specific roof. If you suspect damage, talk to your insurer or a licensed roofer — they can pull the same NOAA records for your claim.
More Delaware hail history
- New Castle County 73
- Kent County 36
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, public domain, updated monthly by NCEI — this site's copy runs through April 2026. HailHistory reports records; it does not give insurance advice or assess damage.