Wednesday storm packing rain, wind could become bomb cyclone as it dumps on Delaware

Another coastal storm is expected to dampen Delaware on Wednesday with the first widespread rain event in months.

Heavy rain and gusty winds are expected to hit the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coast starting Wednesday afternoon and lasting through Thursday night in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.

Wilmington’s forecast shows the city could see up to 1 inch of rain or more on Wednesday, with conditions turning mostly sunny and very breezy by Thursday.

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“The heavier amount of rain is expected to be farther north, especially as you get closer to northern New Jersey and farther into New York and New England,” National Weather Service meteorologist Lee Robertson said. Those areas could see closer to 2-3 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period.

The large storm system will span the East Coast from Canadian waters and as far south as Virginia and Maryland, he said.

The storm is expected to rapidly intensify Wednesday, possibly becoming what could be called a bomb cyclone. A bomb cyclone occurs when a mid-latitude cyclone drops 24 millibars of pressure within 24 hours – a process known as bombogenesis. It remains unclear if this storm will hit that threshold.

“It’s going to pack a good punch,” Robertson said, noting that wind gusts could reach 35 mph inland and even higher along the coast. “It’s definitely going to rapidly increase, that’s for sure.”

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He advised people to secure loose items such as trash cans or umbrellas before the storm hits.

Places with poor drainage or drains clogged with leaves should expect to see some flooding and water pooling on low-lying roadways, Robertson and the National Weather Service warned.

“There could be some spotty, minor coastal flooding,” he said, adding that it won’t be nearly as drastic as the flooding seen in last week’s event.

Last week’s coastal storm, which pounded the Delmarva region with high surf and onshore winds through several consecutive tide cycles, left some low-lying communities like Oak Orchard, Bethany Beach and Ocean City, Maryland underwater at high tide.

This short-lived storm is not expected to bring the same extent of flooding issues, Robertson said. But unlike last week's storm, this system will bring rain and wind much farther inland.

The storm’s impacts should dissipate by Thursday night.

“Thankfully it’s a different situation,” Robertson said. A shift in wind direction to the northwest on Thursday will allow the tides to recede and therefore minimize flooding impacts, he said. “This storm is going to move pretty quickly, and be in and out in less than a day.”

For the most recent weather forecast, go to weather.gov.

A very dry Delaware

Most of Delaware and surrounding areas have technically been in a moderate drought in recent months, with the total rainfall in Wilmington falling several inches below normal, said Robertson.

That could be a concern if large amounts of rain fall rapidly and the soils are not able to absorb the moisture. That is not expected to be the case with this week's storm, he said.

But using the term "drought" can be tricky, said Delaware State Climatologist Daniel Leathers. It could apply to the amount of rain, or lack thereof, moisture in the soil or water content in streams, rivers and wells.

"I'd say we've been in a very dry period really since August, depending on where you are," he said. August was the start of the dry spell, when the statewide average rainfall was 0.35 inches below the monthly normal of 3.78 inches.

But it's not an unusual weather pattern, as later summer and early fall is typically a dry time of year in Delaware, he said.

"It looks like in the next couple of weeks our precipitation chances pick up," he said. "We're going into a good time of year now for there to be more precipitation."

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 This storm is generally good news, Leather said.

"We really need the rain," he said, "and it's not like this storm is going to put down so much rain that we should worry about flash flooding."

Another chance of showers could return by next week.

Do you have an environmental story idea? Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608, mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford.