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Greenwood DE Storm Survey
June 14, 2009
Joe Miketta, Warning Coordination Meteorologist

A severe thunderstorm produced a swath of straight-line wind damage up to one-half mile wide in spots from just north of Hickman in extreme southwestern Kent County DE southeast to the town of Greenwood in northern Sussex County DE. According to eyewitnesses, the storm moved through around 505 PM on Saturday, June 13th. There were no deaths or injuries from this event, and only one house sustained substantial damage. However, there was widespread crop damage from large hail.

Damage began on High Stump Road north of Hickman where a few tree tops were snapped and a few other trees were uprooted. An old barn was blown down, with its roofing material blown up to one-half mile away. Farther southeast, two trees were blown down along Burrsville Road. Along Deer Meadow Road, additional trees were blown down and a steel antenna tower was also bent slightly. The most significant damage occurred parallel to McDowell Road east of Woodbridge Road. A porch roof was ripped away from a wood-framed farm house, and a steel antenna tower next to the house was bent. A tree near the house was blown down, and a large chicken barn near the house collapsed. Farther east, another steel antenna tower was bent, and some shingles were torn off the roof of a nearby house.

Corn was stripped to the stalk on many fields within the damage swath, resulting in a total loss in some cases. Wheat and barely fields also suffered substantial damage. Crop losses could easily total several hundred thousand dollars. Vinyl siding on the farmhouse exhibited holes from the large hail as well. In the nearby garden, strawberry plants were pulverized by the hail.

Tree damage was also noted in the town of Greenwood. Small to medium sized limbs were torn away along Minor Street in downtown Greenwood. Some lawn furniture was blown around, and streets and driveways were littered with leaves. Based on this damage survey, it was a straight-line wind event caused by a microburst in extreme southwestern Kent County DE and northwestern Sussex County DE. Maximum wind speeds are estimated at 80 MPH. Some funnel clouds were reported, but they did not touch down.

Summary edited by Tom Collow, an intern at NWS Mount Holly.

Radar Imagery

dixref.PNG - 0.5 reflectivity image from KDIX 88D, 75dbz at 10000pt highest value of year so far. Indication of very large hail. In spite of being 90 miles away, the storm still showed a supercell structure.

doxmicro.PNG - Microburst in southwest Ken County DE. Note that winds are blowing in opposite directions, toward the radar (green), the dark circle, and away from it. This microburst helped the thunderstorm evolve into a supercell.

- Loop of radar echoes from KDOX radar

Photographs

Burrsville Rd, between High Stump Rd and Cattail Branch Rd