Hail history for Sussex County, Delaware
Every NOAA hail report filed in Sussex County since 1968, with preliminary National Weather Service reports to November 3, 2026.
Readout · Sussex County
- Last hail
- May 16, 2025
- 1.75 in, golf ball size
- Hail days, last 5 years
- 5
- since Nov 3, 2021 · 8 reports
- Largest ever
- 2.25 in
- hen egg · May 16, 2022
48 reports on 40 days since 1968 · #2 of 3 Delaware counties
Hail map · Sussex County
- Under 1 in
- 1–1.75 in
- 1.75–2.5 in
- 2.5–4 in
- 4 in +
- No size
For homeowners
Roof damage after hail? Get a free inspection
Hail bruises shingles and cracks seals in ways you can't see from the ground, and most insurers set a claim deadline after the storm. The latest hail report in Sussex County is from May 16, 2025. A local roofer can check and document it at no cost.
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What the record says about Sussex County
The latest hail report in Sussex County is from May 16, 2025, 1.75 in (golf ball size). Since November 3, 2021 there have been 5 separate hail days; the biggest stones in that time were 2.25 in on May 16, 2022.
Over the 20 years 2006–2025, Sussex County logged 28 reports on 22 hail days, about 1.4 reports a year. That is about the same as the median Delaware county (1.4 a year) and ranks #2 of 3 Delaware counties for all-time reports. Sussex County holds 30% of all 159 hail reports in Delaware.
6% of reports with a size were 2 inches (hen egg) or larger, against 1% for the median Delaware county. The largest hail on record here is 2.25 in (hen egg) on May 16, 2022 near Pepper.
Reports were up 55% in 2016–2025 (17) compared with 2006–2015 (11). The busiest year was 2022, with 5 reports on 2 days. Hail here peaks in May (23% of reports); 58% fall between April and June.
Reports a year 2006–2025 average
- Sussex County 1.4
- Median Delaware county 1.4
Hail days 2006–2025
- Sussex County 22
- Median Delaware county 22
Share 2 in or larger of sized reports
- Sussex County 6%
- Median Delaware county 1%
Hail over time
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 2024 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2022 | 4 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||
| 2021 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2020 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | 1 | 1 |
Hail days since Nov 3, 2021
| Date | Reports | Largest | Storm page |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | 1 | 1.75 in | — |
| Sep 8, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 8, 2023 | 1 | 1.00 in | — |
| Jun 2, 2022 | 1 | 0.88 in | — |
| May 16, 2022 | 4 | 2.25 in | — |
Largest hail on record
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2022 | 2.25 inhen egg | Pepper | 17:30 local · NCEI |
| May 16, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | Pepper | 17:25 local · NCEI |
| Jun 30, 1976 | 2.00 inhen egg | — | 13:30 local · NCEI |
| May 16, 2025 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Millsboro | 13:31 local · NCEI |
| Jul 3, 2002 | 1.75 ingolf ball | 2 W Laurel | 15:29 local · NCEI |
Sizes filed before 1996 are often rough estimates (round numbers like 7.00 or 8.00 in) without an exact spot; they are shown as NOAA filed them.
Size of every report
- Under 1 in 13 27%
- 1–2 in 32 67%
- 2 in + 3 6%
Most recent reports
| Date | Size | Location | Time · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | 1.75 ingolf ball | Millsboro | 13:31 local · NCEI |
| Sep 8, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 N Milton | 13:25 local · NCEI |
| Jun 8, 2023 | 1.00 inquarter | Bayard | 12:55 local · NCEI |
| Jun 2, 2022 | 0.88 innickel | 0.69 N Bridgeville | 17:11 local · NCEI |
| May 16, 2022 | 0.75 inpenny | 0.88 NW Clarksville | 18:01 local · NCEI |
| May 16, 2022 | 2.25 inhen egg | Pepper | 17:30 local · NCEI |
| May 16, 2022 | 2.00 inhen egg | Pepper | 17:25 local · NCEI |
| May 16, 2022 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.88 NE Laurel | 17:20 local · NCEI |
| Jul 29, 2021 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.88 SW Angola Beach | 13:59 local · NCEI |
| Apr 21, 2021 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.69 N Bridgeville | 13:12 local · NCEI |
| Apr 21, 2021 | 1.00 inquarter | 0.88 NE Blades | 13:12 local · NCEI |
| Sep 12, 2019 | 1.00 inquarter | 1.38 N Phillips Hill | 16:51 local · NCEI |
Smaller places with fewer than 10 reports
These places have too few reports for a page of their own, so their record lives here.
| Place | Reports | Hail days | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel | 5 | 5 | May 16, 2022 |
| Delmar | 4 | 4 | May 25, 2017 |
| Georgetown | 4 | 4 | May 2, 2016 |
| Millsboro | 4 | 4 | May 16, 2025 |
| Bridgeville | 3 | 3 | Jun 2, 2022 |
| Milton | 3 | 3 | Sep 8, 2023 |
| Greenwood | 2 | 2 | Jun 13, 2009 |
| Long Neck | 2 | 2 | Jul 29, 2021 |
| Millville | 2 | 2 | Jun 8, 2023 |
| Rehoboth Beach | 2 | 2 | Aug 15, 2008 |
| Seaford | 2 | 2 | Apr 21, 2021 |
| Bethany Beach | 1 | 1 | Jul 16, 1997 |
| Blades | 1 | 1 | Feb 24, 2012 |
| Dewey Beach | 1 | 1 | Aug 19, 2019 |
| Ellendale | 1 | 1 | May 22, 2014 |
| Fenwick Island | 1 | 1 | Jul 28, 2009 |
| Lewes | 1 | 1 | Jun 30, 1976 |
| Ocean View | 1 | 1 | Jul 3, 1969 |
| Selbyville | 1 | 1 | Jun 30, 1976 |
Questions about hail in Sussex County
How often does it hail in Sussex County, Delaware?
48 hail reports have been logged in Sussex County since 1968. Over the 20 years 2006–2025 that averages 1.4 reports a year. That ranks #2 of 3 Delaware counties by number of reports.
When is hail season in Sussex County?
Most reports come in May, June, August. May alone accounts for 23% of all reports.
What is the largest hail recorded in Sussex County?
2.25 in (hen egg size) on May 16, 2022 near Pepper. 6% of reports here were 2 inches or larger.
When did it last hail in Sussex County?
The most recent report in this data is from May 16, 2025 (1.75 in). Final NOAA data runs to July 31, 2026; preliminary NWS reports run to November 3, 2026.
How many hail storms has Sussex County had in the last five years?
5 separate days with hail reports since November 3, 2021, adding up to 8 reports. The most recent was May 16, 2025.
Where does this hail data come from?
Hail reports come from the NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, which the National Weather Service compiles from spotter, public, law enforcement and media reports. Recent days use preliminary NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet until NOAA publishes final data. Only reported hail is counted, so areas with fewer people tend to have fewer reports.