Hurricane Irene produced heavy flooding rain, widespread tropical storm force wind gusts, a confirmed tornado near Lewes in Sussex County, moderate to severe coastal flooding and beach erosion and caused two flooding related deaths, forced evacuations near the coast over the weekend of August 27th and 28th in Delaware. About 100,000 people were evacuated from the Atlantic Coast. Numerous roadways were flooded and closed and thousands of trees were knocked down. About 100,000 utility customers lost power. In addition, chickens were killed by flooding and agricultural crops were damaged by the flooding. Delaware received federal disaster declaration.
Tropical storm force wind gusts overspread Delaware during the afternoon of the 27th and persisted through the afternoon of the 28th. Peak wind gusts averaged around 60 mph. The strongest winds associated with Irene occurred at two distinct times. The first surge occurred during bands of heavier rain during the evening of the 27th. The second peak occurred during the late morning and early afternoon of the 28th when skies were clearing and deeper mixing of the atmosphere brought stronger winds to the ground. The rain associated with Irene overspread the state between 7 a.m. EDT and Noon EDT on the 27th, fell at its heaviest from the late afternoon of the 27th into the early morning of the 28th and ended around Noon EDT on the 28th. Event precipitation totals averaged 5 to 12 inches and caused widespread and in some instances record breaking flooding. Because the flash flooding and flooding blended into one, all stormdata flooding related county entries were combined into one under flood events. The storm surge of 3 to 4 feet caused minor to moderate tidal flooding along tidal sections of the Delaware River and in Upper Delaware Bay and moderate to severe tidal flooding along lower Delaware Bay and along the coast during the evening high tide cycle on the 27th. The winds shifted to the northwest during the morning high tide cycle on the 28th.
Governor Jack Markell ordered visitors to evacuate the Delaware beaches effective 6 pm EDT on August 25th. In addition, a state of emergency was declared and shelters were opened throughout the state on August 26th. Driving restrictions were in place. Mandatory evacuations of approximately one hundred thousand tourists and residents occurred, including special populations, began on Thursday, August 25th. The Cape May���Lewes Ferry suspended service for August 27th and 28th. Toll operations on Delaware State Route 1 were halted. Transit services were shut down on August 27th and 28th, while most of the bridges over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the Indian River were closed due to the wind.
About 100,000 utility customers lost power at the peak of the storm. Power was not fully restored until August 31st. Schools were dismissed early on Friday the 26th and remained closed through the duration of the event. The state highway department reported over two hundred roads under water. Seven bridges sustained structural damage. At least thirty-seven homes and businesses sustained major damage or were destroyed. Extensive damage occurred to the six state maintained beaches as severe beach erosion and dune breaches occurred. The combination of heavy rain and severe tidal flooding washed out Prime Hook Road along Delaware Bay in Cedar Creek Hundred (Sussex County). In Kent County, tidal flooding occurred along Kitts Hummock Road as well as along Bowers Beach.

The highest wind gusts recorded during Hurricane Irene were 66 mph in Lewes (Sussex County), 64 mph in Dewey Beach (Sussex County), 60 mph in Georgetown (Sussex County), 57 mph in Wilmington (New Castle County), and 52 mph in Dover (Kent County). The highest tides included 8.20 feet above mean lower low water at Breakwater Harbor in Sussex County (severe flooding starts at 8.0 feet above mean lower low water) and 8.03 feet above mean lower low water at Reedy Island in New Castle County. Minor tidal flooding at Reedy starts at 7.2 feet above mean lower low water.
Hurricane Irene formed east of the Leeward Islands on Saturday the 20th. It moved northeast and passed over Puerto Rico overnight on the 21st. As Irene moved off the island, it intensified into a hurricane. Irene just bypassed the island of Hispaniola to its north and then passed over the Eastern Bahamas on the 25th as it reached category three hurricane strength. From the Bahamas, Irene moved nearly due north and slowly weakened to a category two hurricane on the 26th and a category one hurricane on the 27th. Irene made her initial landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina at 8 a.m. EDT on the 27th and then proceeded to the northnortheast and went back over the Atlantic Ocean near the Virginia and North Carolina border at 7 p.m. EDT on the 27th. Irene then paralleled the Delmarva Peninsula and the center passed about 15 miles east of Delaware between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. EDT on the 28th. Irene made her second landfall as a tropical storm on Brigantine Island, just north of Atlantic City, New Jersey at 535 a.m. EDT on the 28th. From there the center of Irene moved along eastern parts of Ocean and Monmouth Counties and was located near Tinton Falls Township in Monmouth County at 8 a.m. EDT on the 28th. At about 9 a.m. EDT the center of Irene passed over New York City.

Tropical Storm in NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 16:00:00 to 28-AUG-11 16:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Storm Surge/Tide in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 17:00:00 to 27-AUG-11 21:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: C-MAN Station

Storm Surge/Tide in INLAND SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 17:00:00 to 27-AUG-11 22:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: C-MAN Station

Storm Surge/Tide in KENT, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 19:00:00 to 27-AUG-11 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: C-MAN Station

Storm Surge/Tide in NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 21:00:00 to 28-AUG-11 01:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: C-MAN Station

Flash Flood in SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 20:00:00 to 28-AUG-11 05:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: FENWICK IS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Tropical System
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Flash Flood in KENT, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 20:00:00 to 28-AUG-11 05:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: WOODLAND BEACH
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Tropical System
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Flash Flood in NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 20:09:00 to 28-AUG-11 05:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: MILFORD XRDS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Tropical System
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Flood in SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 28-AUG-11 05:00:00 to 30-AUG-11 10:07:00 (EST-5)
Location: SLAUGHTER BEACH
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Tropical System
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The Nanticoke River at Bridgeville was above its 8 foot flood stage from 905 a.m. on the 28th through 207 p.m. EDT on the 29th. It crested at 8.73 feet at 8 p.m. EDT on the 28th. The Beaver Dam Ditch at Camly Road was above its 9 foot flood stage from 1203 p.m. EDT on the 28th through 1107 a.m. EDT on the 30th. It crested at 11.74 feet at 820 a.m. EDT on the 29th.
Event rainfall totals included 9.83 inches in Greenwood, 8.72 inches in Delmar, 7.78 inches in Cokesbury, 7.40 inches in Seaford, 6.00 inches in Lewes, and 5.60 inches at the Georgetown Airport.

Tornado in SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 17:38:00 to 27-AUG-11 17:39:00 (EST-5)
Location: NASSAU
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

An EF1 tornado touched down in the Quakertown area near Lewes during the early evening of the 27th. This tornado was embedded within convective bands associated with Hurricane Irene. About 50 homes were damaged and several vehicles and sheds were either damaged or destroyed. The tornado touched down near the eastern end of Tradewinds Lane, then moved west along Tradewinds Lane, crossed Delaware State Route 269A before lifting at Crab Apple Lane. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped along this path, and numerous homes experienced shingle damage in the Tradewinds, Donovan Smith, Swanendael Acres and Nassau Station Developments. The most significant damage occurred on Crab Apple Lane where a house sustained substantial roof damage with its rafters exposed. The house's garage was also ripped away.
The tornado path length was estimated at 0.7 miles, its maximum path width was 80 yards and its estimated maximum wind speed was 95 mph. No serious injuries were reported.

Flood in NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
From 28-AUG-11 05:00:00 to 29-AUG-11 03:17:00 (EST-5)
Location: MILFORD XRDS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Tropical System
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Two 25-year-old men drowned in Hockessin after attempting to run home through the storm across a branch of the Mill Creek on the night of the 27th. Their bodies were recovered near Wilmington on the afternoon of the 29th. Delaware State Route 9 was badly flooded in the county.
The White Clay Creek at Newark was above its 11.5 foot flood stage from 208 a.m. EDT through Noon EDT on the 28th. It crested at 14.64 feet at 530 a.m. EDT. It was the highest crest since the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne in late September of 2004. Farther downstream, the White Clay Creek downstream of Newark had record breaking major flooding with a crest of 17.20 feet at 815 a.m. EDT on the 28th.  The previous record was set during Hurricane Floyd in September of 1999.  The creek was above its 13 foot flood stage from 1044 p.m. EDT on the 27th through 423 p.m. EDT on the 28th.
The Red Clay Creek had major flooding, its worst flooding since the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne in late September of 2004 and the fourth highest crest on record. The Red Clay Creek at Wooddale was above its 7 foot flood stage from 1106 p.m. EDT on the 27th through 1240 p.m. EDT on the 28th. It crested at 12.99 feet at 645 a.m. EDT on the 28th. Farther downstream, the Red Clay Creek at Stanton was above its 15 foot flood stage from 1039 p.m. EDT on the 27th through 346 p.m. EDT on the 28th.  It crested at 23.18 feet at 745 a.m. EDT on the 28th.
The Christina River at Coochs Bridge had record breaking major flooding with a crest of 13.89 feet at 415 a.m. EDT on the 28th.  The previous record was set with Hurricane Floyd in September of 1999. The river was above its 10.5 foot flood stage from 909 p.m. EDT on the 27th through 1143 a.m. EDT on the 28th. The Brandywine Creek at Wilmington had moderate  flooding and a record breaking crest of18.71 feet at 230 p.m. EDT on the 28th. The creek  was above its 16.5 foot flood stage from 454 a.m. EDT on the 28th through 417 a.m. EDT on the 29th.
Event rainfall totals included 8.12 inches in Clayton, 7.85 inches in Armstrong, 7.80 inches in Middletown, 7.00 inches in Newport and 6.94 inches at the New Castle County Airport.

Tropical Storm in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 11:00:00 to 28-AUG-11 14:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Tropical Storm in INLAND SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 11:00:00 to 28-AUG-11 13:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Tropical Storm in KENT, DELAWARE
From 27-AUG-11 13:00:00 to 28-AUG-11 14:00:00 (EST-5)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Flood in KENT, DELAWARE
From 28-AUG-11 05:00:00 to 28-AUG-11 23:00:00 (EST-5)
Location: WOODLAND BEACH
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Tropical System
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Flooding drowned several thousand chickens in Felton. Delaware State Route 6 was flooded in Smyrna and Delaware State Route 9 was flooded in Little Creek. Mirror Lake also flooded in Dover. Event rainfall totals included 10.08 inches in Marydel, 8.55 inches in Smyrna, 6.93 inches in Dover, 5.26 inches in Magnolia and 4.90 inches in Felton.