🌤️ Delmarva Afternoon Update — Thursday, July 9, 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Watch now covers nearly all of Delmarva until 10 PM, and a Flash Flood Warning is in effect for New Castle County through 5:45 PM.
What's Changed Since This Morning: The afternoon brought a major escalation. NWS Mount Holly and Wakefield issued Severe Thunderstorm Watches at 2:30 PM covering Delaware, the Maryland Eastern Shore, Accomack, and Cecil County. New Castle County went under a Flash Flood Warning at 2:07 PM after training storms dropped heavy rain, with a Flood Watch running through midnight. SPC has also nudged Day 2 up to Marginal Risk across the peninsula, meaning Friday isn't off the hook either.
Current Severe Weather Picture: SPC maintains a Slight Risk for Day 1 across Wilmington, Dover, Lewes, Salisbury, Ocean City, and Chincoteague. Damaging wind gusts and heavy rain are the primary threats through this evening as showers and thunderstorms roll through. Highs still climbed into the mid-80s ahead of the storms — Salisbury hit 88°F, Cambridge and Georgetown 87°F — with muggy southwest flow feeding the instability.
Active Watches & Warnings:
- Severe Thunderstorm Watch — Kent, New Castle, Sussex (DE), Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's, Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, Worcester, Cecil (MD), Accomack, Caroline (VA) — until 10:00 PM
- Flash Flood Warning — New Castle, DE — until 5:45 PM
- Flood Watch — New Castle, DE — until midnight
- Flood Watch — Cecil, MD — until 11:00 PM
- Coastal Flood Statement — Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset (MD) — 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM (minor)
Through Tonight: Storms continue through mid-evening with the strongest cells capable of damaging winds and localized flooding. Activity should wind down after 10 PM, though minor tidal flooding along the lower Eastern Shore bayside is possible around the late-evening high tide.
Bottom Line: Stay weather-aware through 10 PM — damaging wind and flash flooding are the day's headliners.
— US Weather Warriors 🌪️ #DelmarvaWeather #DEwx #MDwx #VAwx