Selbyville · Weather, flooding and hazards

Selbyville, Delaware: weather, flooding and hazards

Weather, climate, flooding and hazards in Selbyville, Sussex County, Delaware: 19 questions answered from NOAA, the state and other official sources.

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Questions about weather, flooding and hazards in Selbyville

What is the climate like in Selbyville, Delaware?

Using NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals from the Georgetown Delaware Coastal Airport station, the nearest of the stations we use, the average January low is 28.6 degrees F and the average July high is 87.7 degrees F. Annual precipitation averages 43.88 inches. The station is not inside Selbyville, so readings in town can differ a little, especially near the water. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How much snow does Selbyville get per year?

The Georgetown airport normals table we use for Selbyville does not publish snowfall. The nearest station we fetched with a 1991 to 2020 snowfall normal is the Salisbury, Maryland (Wicomico Regional Airport) station, at 8.0 inches a year. Treat that as a regional reference, not a measurement for Selbyville. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

Is Selbyville in a flood zone?

Part of Selbyville may sit in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and the answer depends on the address, so we do not give a town-wide yes or no. The USGS elevation at the town's Census center point is about 32 feet. Look up a specific property in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the DNREC Delaware Flood Planning Tool. Source: msc.fema.gov, floodplanning.dnrec.delaware.gov, epqs.nationalmap.gov.

Is Selbyville in a hurricane evacuation zone?

Delaware labels hurricane evacuation zones A, B, C and D, and describes them as low-lying areas susceptible to flooding and storm surge. The state page does not list communities by zone, so we cannot say which zone Selbyville or a given address falls in. Use the Know Your Zone lookup tool or interactive map to check an address. Source: preparede.org, dema.delaware.gov.

What body of water is Selbyville on?

The town's history page says the Sandy Branch tract that became Selbyville was at the head of Saint Martin's River. The Census Bureau lists Selbyville with 3.582 square miles of land and 0.008 square miles of water. Source: selbyville.delaware.gov, www2.census.gov.

How big is Selbyville and how high above sea level is it?

The 2020 Census Gazetteer lists Selbyville at 3.582 square miles of land and 0.008 square miles of water. Elevation at the Census center point is about 32 feet above sea level (USGS 3DEP), and ground height varies across town. Source: www2.census.gov, epqs.nationalmap.gov.

Which National Weather Service forecast zone covers Selbyville?

The National Weather Service (Mount Holly office) places Selbyville in forecast zone DEZ003, Inland Sussex, Delaware. This was read from the NWS point forecast page for the town's Census center point. Source: forecast.weather.gov.

How many days a year reach 90 degrees F near Selbyville?

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown Sussex Co AP station list 30.4 days a year with a high of 90 F or more, including 12.1 in July and 7.9 in August. The station is not in Selbyville, so readings in town can differ. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How many freezing nights does Selbyville get each year?

At the Georgetown Sussex Co AP station, NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals show 83.2 days a year with a low of 32 F or colder, 22.3 of them in January. Freezing lows are normal from October (0.5 days) through April (2.1 days) and none in May to September. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How many heating and cooling degree days does the Selbyville area have?

NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Georgetown Sussex Co AP list 4,070 heating degree days and 1,396 cooling degree days a year (base 65 F). Annual mean temperature there is 57.6 F. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

What are the wettest and driest months near Selbyville?

At the Georgetown Sussex Co AP station, NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals show September as the wettest month at 4.54 inches and February as the driest at 2.58 inches. The station has 11.1 days a year with 1 inch or more of rain. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

Is there a river or stream flood gauge near Selbyville?

The National Weather Service lists Birch Branch at Showell (BBSM2) just south of the state line in Worcester County, Maryland. It has no defined flood categories, but its impact notes say water begins to cover the Birch Branch bridge on US 113 at 11.5 ft and the highest recorded stage was 10.66 ft on 8/26/2012. Source: api.water.noaa.gov.

When does flooding start on DE 54 near Selbyville?

On the Little Assawoman Bay gauge at Fenwick Island (FEND1), the National Weather Service says flooding begins in Fenwick Island, including DE Route 54, at 2.7 ft MLLW. Minor flood stage there is 2.5 ft and Sandy reached 5.07 ft on October 29, 2012. Source: api.water.noaa.gov.

Were areas near Selbyville ordered to evacuate for Hurricane Sandy?

Delaware's October 2012 order covered flood-prone areas along Route 26 and Route 54 and areas around the inland bays, but it did not name Selbyville. Check Know Your Zone for an address. Source: news.delaware.gov, preparede.org.

Which evacuation route did Delaware advise for southern Sussex beach towns?

For Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the state advised ocean communities south of Indian River Inlet to head west on Routes 26 and 54 to U.S. 113 instead of north on Route 1. US 113 runs through Selbyville. Source: news.delaware.gov.

What are the Delaware hurricane season dates and storm shelter numbers for Selbyville?

A Sussex County town page lists hurricane season as June 1 through November 30. For shelters it says to call the American Red Cross at 302-856-2993 or the Sussex County EOC storm line at 302-856-7366. Source: millville.delaware.gov.

How much warning does a storm surge watch give?

The National Weather Service Mount Holly tropical page says a Storm Surge Watch means possible life-threatening inundation, generally within 48 hours, and a Storm Surge Warning means generally within 36 hours. Source: weather.gov.

How was Delaware's flood mapping updated for places like Selbyville?

DNREC said on March 15, 2017 that it completed floodplain mapping for all three Delaware counties in 2016, using more than 330 miles of flood studies. The state Flood Planning Tool shows the effective and preliminary FIRM layers. Source: selbyville.delaware.gov.

What is Delaware's all-time record low temperature?

The National Weather Service Mount Holly historical weather page lists -17 F at Millsboro, Delaware on January 17, 1893 as a state record. Source: weather.gov.

How these answers are sourced

Every answer on this page cites an official or primary source, such as the town, a state agency, NOAA or the institution itself. Answers SussexCounty.ai could not confirm from a primary source are left out until they can be.