The combination of the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernnesto and a large high pressure system over eastern Canada produced heavy rain and flooding, strong and in some cases damaging winds, tidal flooding and beach erosion in Delaware. Sussex County was hit the hardest with both the flooding (tidal and inland) and high winds. Downed trees damaged homes, vehicles and churches. Delmarva Electric reported that 151,000 of its customers along the peninsula lost power (including Delaware). All power was restored in Delaware by the night of the 4th. About 17,500 Delaware Electric Cooperative customers also lost power in Kent and Sussex Counties. About 2,000 Verizon customers lost phone service through the 8th. The Delaware Bay Buoy set an all-time record high wave height for September, 22.3 feet. Ten to twelve foot waves were crashing along the shore line and enhanced rip currents and rough surf persisted through the 5th. There were even five foot waves in Rehoboth Bay. Many Labor Day Weekend (storm hit hardest on Friday the 1st) activities were cancelled or postponed. Revenue was lost from people cancelling vacation plans. Rain moved into the state just before sunrise on the 1st and ended from south to north during the first half of the day on the 2nd. The heaviest rain fell during the afternoon of the 1st in Sussex County, before sunrise on the 2nd in Kent County and during the morning of the 2nd in New Castle County. Storm totals averaged two to five inches with the highest amounts in Sussex County. The heavy rain produced poor drainage flooding as well as some stream and creek flooding in Sussex County. In addition to the heavy rain, persistent and strong east to northeast winds caused tree damage as the heavy rain loosened the root support and weighed down limbs. The strongest winds occurred from the late afternoon on the 1st through the early morning on the 2nd. Sussex County took the brunt of the wind and water damage from the storm including the ocean and bayshore communities. About 40,000 homes and businesses lost power. There were about 275 weather related responses by emergency personnel. About ten roads were closed because of flooding or wind damage. Many beaches were closed on the 1st and 2nd. Ones that were opened on the 3rd limited how far people could go. In Lewes, the dock and exterior landing, stairway and hand rails at the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse suffered damage. About 75 feet of beach front was lost. In Cape Henlopen State Park, the dune fencing was damaged. In Rehoboth, about 100 feet of beach was lost as waves reached 12 feet. A large tree damaged one home, another fallen tree destroyed a sidewalk. Sections of the dunes were destroyed. Storage sheds along the beach were destroyed. A few roads were flooded at high tide. In Dewey Beach, many roads were flooded on the Rehoboth Bay side during the evening high tide on the first. The high winds caused roof, gutter and downspout damage to homes. In Bethany Beach, nearly all of the beach was swept away. Erosion reached up to the first row of homes. In South Bethany, shingles and siding was ripped from homes. Homes that did not raise their steps at the shore saw them swept away. In Fenwick Island, a fifty-five foot dead fin whale was unearthed. Nine dead loggerhead sea turtles washed ashore along the Delaware Coast. Inland in Sussex County, the combination of run-off and high tides caused flooding along both the Broadkill Creek (downtown Milton) and the Mispillion River in Milford (Park Avenue and South Walnut Street. Golf courses near the coast suffered heavy tree damage. Many cornfields suffered snapped crops from Georgetown to the coast. Two-hundred-year-old trees were knocked down on Sussex County Route 48. In the Long Neck and Oak Orchard area, bay flooding caused street flooding and the evacuation of six homes. In Kent County, many trees were knocked down especially in and around Dover and Smyrna. One home was damaged by a downed tree. Along Delaware Bay, a Sports Utility Vehicle was struck by large waves at Woodland Beach. New Castle County missed the brunt of the remnants. No gaged streams or rivers flooded. One person was rescued from a flooded roadway. About 11,000 homes and businesses in the county lost power and they were all restored by sunrise on the 3rd. Actual storm totals included 5.15 inches in Jones Crossing Sussex County), 4.50 inches in Milford and Long Neck (Sussex County), 4.51 inches in Georgetown (Sussex County), 4.06 inches in Bethany Beach (Sussex County), 3.90 inches in Woodside (Kent County), 2.90 inches in Wilmington (New Castle County), 2.77 inches at Dover AFB, 2.31 inches in Newark (New Castle County) and 1.91 inches at the New Castle County Airport. Peak wind gusts included 62 mph in Lewes (Sussex County), 61 mph in Dover (Kent County) and 47 mph at the New Castle County Airport. In Delaware Bay, the tide at Reedy Island reached 7.71 feet above mean lower low water on the morning of the 2nd. Minor tidal flooding starts at 7.2 feet above mean lower low water. The low pressure system that was Ernesto moved slowly north from around Petersburg, Virginia at 5 p.m. EDT on the 1st, to near Fredericksburg, Virginia at 11 p.m. EDT on the 1st, passed close to Washington D.C. at 5 a.m. EDT on the 2nd, near Hagerstown, Maryland at 8 a.m. EDT on the 2nd,near Altoona, Pennsylvania at 2 p.m. EDT on the 2nd and accelerated northward and was just southeast of Buffalo, New York at 2 a.m. EDT on the 3rd. Of greater importance, was a strong high pressure system (greater than 1032 millibars) that remained over southeastern Canada and maintained the pressure gradient (difference) between it and the remnant low of Ernesto.

Strong Wind in NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 17:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 05:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 41 MG
Property damage: 100K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in INLAND SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 12:00:00 to 01-SEP-06 16:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 16:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 00:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 54 MG
Property damage: 125K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind in INLAND SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 16:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 00:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 54 MG
Property damage: 125K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 02-SEP-06 00:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 02:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in INLAND SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 02-SEP-06 00:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 02:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Rain in NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
From 02-SEP-06 06:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 12:00:00 (EST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Rain in KENT, DELAWARE
From 02-SEP-06 00:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 06:00:00 (EST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Flood in SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 11:00:00 to 01-SEP-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Surf in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 06:00:00 to 05-SEP-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Property damage: 100K
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Coastal Flood in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 13:00:00 to 01-SEP-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Coastal Flood in INLAND SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 13:00:00 to 01-SEP-06 17:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Coastal Flood in KENT, DELAWARE
From 02-SEP-06 04:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 09:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Strong Wind in KENT, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 13:00:00 to 01-SEP-06 22:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind in KENT, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 22:00:00 to 02-SEP-06 02:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 53 MG
Property damage: 100K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in KENT, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 02:00:00 to 01-SEP-06 06:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 01-SEP-06 12:00:00 to 01-SEP-06 16:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 EG
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC