Newark, DE Tornado History — 82 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Newark, DE had?
Newark has had 82 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Newark?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Newark was an EF0 on September 4, 2025.
When is tornado season in Newark?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Newark, with 21 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Newark
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 18 total, averaging 0.9 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Newark since December 29, 2025
These is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Within 25 miles of Newark. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Newark
3 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Newark since 1950, across 3 events. 70 injuries have been reported across all events. 1993 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F3 on March 22, 1955, which caused 1 fatality along a 9.6-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Newark
About Tornadoes in Newark
This overview was written July 29, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Newark occupies the narrow northern neck of Delaware, in New Castle County where the piedmont meets the coastal plain near the Maryland and Pennsylvania lines, and tornadoes have crossed this corridor with more force than the Mid-Atlantic's mild reputation suggests.
On March 22, 1955, an F3 tornado carved a 9.6-mile path up to 600 yards wide, killing one person and causing $275,000 in damage. An F2 on September 6, 1979 killed one person and injured 4 along a 4.1-mile track. On June 7, 1988, an F1 stayed on the ground for 23 miles and injured 30 people, and on July 28, 1994 an F3 injured 11 along a four-mile path. High summer — July above all — is when Newark's tornadoes have most often arrived, though the calendar stretches from that March F3 in 1955 to late-autumn touchdowns like the EF2 of November 1, 2019, which injured 2 people on a path just under half a mile long.
The EF era has brought serious events of its own: an EF2 on August 4, 2020 tracked 35.78 miles through the region, another EF2 on September 1, 2021 ran nearly six miles and caused $500,000 in damage, and as recently as September 5, 2025 an EF0 touched down near the city.