Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 48 hail storms within 25 miles of Wilmington, DE. Of those, 28 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was ping pong ball-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2022 was the most active year on record locally, with 17 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Wilmington| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 3 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 25 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 17 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Minor | 3 events | Pea-size, unlikely to damage modern shingles |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 events |
| 2025 | 10 events |
| 2024 | 3 events |
| 2023 | 12 events |
| 2022 | 17 events |
2022 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Wilmington, with 17 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Wilmington typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-27 | 1 SW Pitman, NJ | Moderate | 0.70" | — |
| 2026-06-22 | East Greenwich Twp, NJ | Minor | 0.25" | Report of pea sized hail. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-05-20 | 1 WNW Wayne, PA | Significant | 1.00" | Time estimated from radar. Picture sent in from skywarn spotter. |
| 2026-05-20 | WAYNE, PA | Significant | 1.00" | Skywarn spotter sent a picture of quarter-sized hail. |
| 2026-05-10 | Kemblesville, PA | Minor | 0.25" | Trained spotter reported pea sized hail. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2026-03-03 | 1 NE Midvale, DE | Minor | 0.03" | ASOS station KILG Wilmington. |
| 2025-05-03 | BLUEBALL, MD | Severe | 1.50" | Ping pong ball size hail was reported near Pleasant Hill. |
| 2025-05-03 | FAIR HILL, MD | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter size hail was reported near Fair Hill. |
| 2025-05-03 | PRIMOS, PA | Moderate | 0.88" | Nickel-sized hail was observed. |
| 2025-04-04 | GRACE PARK, PA | Significant | 1.25" | From a trained spotter who also estimated 65 mph wind gusts. Time given in report. |
| 2025-04-04 | RUTLEDGE, PA | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mping. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2025-04-04 | RUTLEDGE, PA | Moderate | 0.75" | A trained spotter reported dime and nickel sized hail. |
| 2025-04-04 | RUTLEDGE, PA | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter sized hail was reported. Time estimated from radar. |
| 2025-04-04 | NATIONAL PARK, NJ | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-04-04 | PAULSBORO, NJ | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-04-04 | FT MIFFIN, PA | Significant | 1.00" | Airport observer reported 1 inch hail at Philadelphia International Airport. The period of the Hail event was 11 minutes. |
| 2024-08-18 | VALLEY FORGE, PA | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from MPING. Dime to nickel sized hail. Time given in report. |
| 2024-07-14 | EAGLE, PA | Significant | 1.00" | Hail up to quarter size occurred for two minutes on Flagstone Road in Chester Springs. |
| 2024-04-15 | BAY VIEW, MD | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter size hail was reported northwest of North East. |
| 2023-09-08 | EDGEMOOR, DE | Significant | 1.00" | Quarter size hail reported at Marsh Road and Philadelphia Pike. Time estimated from radar. |
NOAA has recorded 383 high-wind events within 25 miles of Wilmington, DE in the past five years. Of those, 381 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 105 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Destructive | 1 event |
| Severe | 35 events |
| Significant | 345 events |
| Moderate | 2 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-02 | 1 S Odessa, DE | 53 | Significant | Mesonet station DEL13 Us 1 At Appoquinimink River. |
| 2026-09-02 | 4 SSW Elsinboro Twp, NJ | 70 | Severe | Lower Alloways Creek. |
| 2026-09-02 | 1 NNE Delaware City, DE | 68 | Severe | Station DELD1 - 8551762 - Delaware City DE gusted to 59.1 kt. |
| 2026-09-02 | New Castle County Airpo, DE | 53 | Significant | KILG gusted to 53 mph. |
| 2026-09-02 | 1 WNW Elsinboro Twp, NJ | 68 | Severe | KNJSALEM28 gusted to 68 mph. |
| 2026-09-02 | Hyde Park, DE | 60 | Significant | Spotter Network. Trained spotter reports 60 mph winds. |
| 2026-08-08 | 1 ENE Carneys Point Twp, NJ | 62 | Significant | measured from a handheld anemometer. |
| 2026-08-07 | 1 NE Midvale, DE | 43 | Moderate | ASOS station KILG Wilmington. |
| 2026-08-07 | 1 W Logan Twp., NJ | 45 | Moderate | Mesonet station NJ65 Logan Twp. |
| 2026-07-11 | Philadelphia Internatio, PA | 56 | Significant | ASOS station KPHL Philadelphia International Airport. |
| 2026-07-11 | Ardmore, PA | 55 | Significant | Trained spotter measured wind gust in Ardmore. Minor flooding of streets also reported. |
| 2026-07-11 | 1 SSW Haverford, PA | 60 | Significant | Trained spotter estimates wind gusts up to 60 mph in Ardmore, Haverford Township. Flooding on Haverford Road. |
| 2026-07-09 | 1 ENE Carneys Point Twp, NJ | 52 | Significant | Measured a wind gust of 52 mph on handheld anemometer. |
| 2026-07-06 | Lower Alloways Creek, NJ | 68 | Severe | A 68 mph wind gust was measured at the Lower Alloways Creek mesonet site along the Delaware Bay. |
| 2026-07-05 | 4 SSW Elsinboro Twp, NJ | 58 | Significant | NJNET Lower Alloways Creek station recorded a wind gust of 58 mph. |
| 2026-07-05 | 1 S Odessa, DE | 64 | Severe | DEDOT US 1 at Appoquinimink River station. |
| 2026-07-05 | 1 WSW Valley Twp, PA | 58 | Significant | — |
| 2026-07-05 | 1 SE Valley Twp, PA | 58 | Significant | Westwood Mesonet gusted to 58 MPH. |
| 2026-07-05 | 2 E Londonderry Twp, PA | 59 | Significant | West Grove DEOS Mesonet. |
| 2026-07-05 | 1 NNE East Caln Twp, PA | 62 | Significant | Measured from anemometer. Reported from spotter network. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Wilmington was on May 20, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Wilmington averages roughly 10 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 28 of the 48 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Wilmington in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Wilmington-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in DE cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Wilmington. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Wilmington took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationWilmington sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.