Hurricane Facts for Delaware

8/30/2019 (Permalink)

As Hurricane Dorian approaches the coast of Florida, residents of Delaware may wonder just how much of a threat any storm may pose to our state. Although tropical storms and hurricanes can bring devastation, death and destruction – historically Delaware is a very fortunate. In fact, if you research as far back as 1785 – there have only been two named storms which actually brought hurricane force winds to the state. Those two storms were Irene in 2011 and Sandy in 2012. Storms in 1878 and 1903 also caused hurricane force winds; however we did not begin naming hurricanes until 1953 when only female names were used. This changed in 1979 again when we began offering both male and female names for hurricanes.

Most catastrophic storms can bring a high death toll as well and we tend to remember the storms that caused the most loss of life. Another interesting fact is that the state o f Delaware has only incurred around only 270 deaths from storms since 1785. During the same period in the state of Florida – there were well over 10,000 deaths! Hurricane Andrew alone killed 65 people in FL.

Perhaps we are fortunate or just plain lucky. With science predicting many more storms each season; it may just be a matter of time until Delaware has major storm damage. One thing is certain – we should learn the lesson on how these storms have affected others and always be prepared and vigilant. It is easy to say” Delaware is rarely in the eye of the storm.” Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.