Delaware’s Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) wants to remind everyone as we hit summer’s peak to be prepared for storms that could hit suddenly.
Crowds visiting First State beaches and the Delaware State Fair this week will face temperatures expected to reach the upper 90’s with Heat Indexes between 104 to 110 degrees.
Those conditions can also spawn severe weather and DEMA’s community relations coordinator John Petersen says everyone should be aware that storms that produce severe coastal flooding, high winds and inland flooding can hit at any time.
He points to last week’s severe thunderstorm that tore through parts of Kent County and Southern New Castle County.
“The winds were up to maybe 87 mph in certain spots; those are kind of hurricane force winds, but they were not caused by a tropical depression or a tropical storm - they were just straight line winds caused by a severe thunderstorm,” he said.
And during the past two years, Petersen notes that the two most serious storms that hit Delaware weren’t hurricanes, yet still caused a lot of damage.
“They were just the remnants of tropical storms or tropical depressions that - when they passed through our area - caused record flooding and record rainfall like Ida did up near Wilmington or Isaias was a storm that spawned a lot of tornadoes (in Kent County)," said Petersen.
He notes the problem is it’s not easy to get people’s attention this time of year and emphasizes the time to prepare is when storms are not happening.
“We have a lot of resources on our website - it’s PrepareDE.org. There’s lots of tips on how to create a plan for your family.”
Petersen says one way to stay informed by registering for the Delaware Emergency Notification System (DENS). Or you can monitor DEMA’s social media pages for the latest severe weather information.
