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Tornado in Kent County, Delaware
25 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Kent County, Delaware, has 25 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 16 different years.
July is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 7 events against 11 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 30.9% of the 81 tornado events recorded in Delaware; its 4.3 per 100 square miles compares with 4.2 statewide.
NCEI attributes 2 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 7 at (E)F0, 13 at (E)F1, 5 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Delaware
| Measure | Kent County | Delaware | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 25 | 81 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.3 | 4.2 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 2 | 3 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | July | July | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
0Mar
3Apr
3May
1Jun
3Jul
9Aug
4Sep
1Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 25 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Mar 2026 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 2021 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2020 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2014 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 3 Sep 2012 | Tornado | EF0 | $100K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 12 Jul 2004 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $200K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 27 Jul 1994 | Tornado | F1 | $400K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 1994 | Tornado | F0 | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 1994 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1993 | Tornado | F1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 1992 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 1992 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 1991 | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $2.5M | — | — | 30 | County |
| 21 Jul 1983 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | 2 | 9 | County |
| 9 Jun 1977 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 13 Mar 1977 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1975 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 27 Jan 1967 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 7 | County |
| 26 Mar 1964 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Kent County had?
25 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Kent County?
16 Mar 2026 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Kent County?
The tornado of 7 Jun 1988, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Kent County compare with Delaware for tornado?
4.3 events per 100 square miles against 4.2 statewide; the county holds 25 of the state's 81 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.