Alert archive / North Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2017

Rip Current Statement 6, NWS Wilmington, NC

September 16, 2017Brunswick County, New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at Sep 16, 2017, 5:35 AM EDT for Brunswick County, New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina. It was in force for 14 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 16, 2017, 5:35 AM EDT (09:35 UTC)
Expired
Sep 16, 2017, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC

Counties Brunswick County, NC, New Hanover County, NC, Pender County, NC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 00:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 118 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Newport, NC at 00:00Z on 2017-09-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 205 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Newport, NC at 00:00Z on 2017-09-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -2 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
205 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1001 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
31 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

238 
WHUS42 KILM 160935
CFWILM

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
535 AM EDT SAT SEP 16 2017


NCZ106-108-110-170000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0006.170916T0935Z-170917T0000Z/
COASTAL PENDER-COASTAL NEW HANOVER-COASTAL BRUNSWICK-
535 AM EDT SAT SEP 16 2017

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH RIP 
CURRENT RISK WHICH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* LOCATION...ALL BEACHES OF PENDER...NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK
  COUNTIES.

* RIP CURRENT RISK...HIGH

* SURF HEIGHT...AT THE PENDER AND NEW HANOVER COUNTY BEACHES SURF
  HEIGHTS WILL BE 3 TO 5 FEET INCREASING TO 5 TO 7 FEET BY THIS
  AFTERNOON. AT THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY BEACHES SURF HEIGHTS WILL BE 2 
  FEET INCREASING TO AROUND 4 FEET BY THIS AFTERNOON.

* TIMING AND TIDES...STRONG RIP CURRENTS CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME
  TODAY...BUT WILL BE ESPECIALLY STRONG AROUND TIME OF LOW TIDE 
  WHICH WILL OCCUR AROUND 1130 AM...AND AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES.

* OTHER HAZARDS...AT THE PENDER AND NEW HANOVER BEACHES THERE WILL BE
  A WEAK NORTH TO SOUTH LONGSHORE CURRENT WHICH WILL BECOME MODERATE
  THIS AFTERNOON. THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY BEACHES WILL HAVE A WEAK TO 
  MODERATE EAST TO WEST LONGSHORE CURRENT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. LIFE THREATENING RIP CURRENTS
ARE LIKELY IN THE SURF ZONE.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE, WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS, JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS, BEACH PATROL FLAGS AND
SIGNS.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT, YELL FOR HELP. REMAIN CALM,
DO NOT EXHAUST YOURSELF AND STAY AFLOAT WHILE WAITING FOR HELP. IF
YOU HAVE TO SWIM OUT OF A RIP CURRENT, SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE AND
BACK TOWARD THE BEACH WHEN POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY
AGAINST A RIP CURRENT AS YOU WILL TIRE QUICKLY. 

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
419 
WHUS42 KILM 170006
CFWILM

COASTAL HAZARD MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
806 PM EDT SAT SEP 16 2017

NCZ106-108-110-171000-
/O.EXP.KILM.RP.S.0006.000000T0000Z-170917T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0007.170917T1200Z-170918T0000Z/
COASTAL PENDER-COASTAL NEW HANOVER-COASTAL BRUNSWICK-
806 PM EDT SAT SEP 16 2017

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT SUNDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH RIP
CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT SUNDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING.

* LOCATION...ALL BEACHES OF PENDER...NEW HANOVER AND BRUNSWICK 
  COUNTIES.

* RIP CURRENT RISK...HIGH

* SURF HEIGHT...AT THE PENDER AND NEW HANOVER COUNTY BEACHES SURF
  HEIGHTS WILL BE 5 TO 7 FEET. AT THE BRUNSWICK COUNTY BEACHES SURF
  HEIGHTS WILL BE 3 TO 6 FEET.

* TIMING AND TIDES...STRONG RIP CURRENTS CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME
  TODAY...BUT WILL BE ESPECIALLY STRONG AROUND TIME OF LOW TIDE WHICH
  WILL OCCUR AROUND 1145 AM.

* OTHER HAZARDS...AT THE PENDER AND NEW HANOVER BEACHES THERE WILL BE
  A MODERATE TO STRONG NORTH TO SOUTH LONGSHORE CURRENT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. LIFE THREATENING RIP CURRENTS
ARE LIKELY IN THE SURF ZONE.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE, WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS, JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS, BEACH PATROL FLAGS AND
SIGNS.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT, YELL FOR HELP. REMAIN CALM,
DO NOT EXHAUST YOURSELF AND STAY AFLOAT WHILE WAITING FOR HELP. IF
YOU HAVE TO SWIM OUT OF A RIP CURRENT, SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE AND
BACK TOWARD THE BEACH WHEN POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY
AGAINST A RIP CURRENT AS YOU WILL TIRE QUICKLY. 

&&

$$

SCZ054-056-171000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0007.170917T1200Z-170918T0000Z/
COASTAL HORRY-COASTAL GEORGETOWN-
806 PM EDT SAT SEP 16 2017

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT SUNDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A HIGH RIP
CURRENT RISK...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT SUNDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY EVENING.

* LOCATION...ALL BEACHES OF HORRY AND GEORGETOWN COUNTIES.

* RIP CURRENT RISK...HIGH

* SURF HEIGHT...3 TO 6 FEET.

* TIMING AND TIDES...STRONG RIP CURRENTS CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME
  TODAY...BUT WILL BE ESPECIALLY STRONG AROUND TIME OF LOW TIDE WHICH
  WILL OCCUR AROUND NOON.

* OTHER HAZARDS...A MODERATE NORTH TO SOUTH LONGSHORE CURRENT IS ALSO 
  EXPECTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. LIFE THREATENING RIP CURRENTS
ARE LIKELY IN THE SURF ZONE.

RIP CURRENTS ARE POWERFUL CHANNELS OF WATER FLOWING QUICKLY AWAY
FROM SHORE, WHICH OCCUR MOST OFTEN AT LOW SPOTS OR BREAKS IN THE
SANDBAR AND IN THE VICINITY OF STRUCTURES SUCH AS GROINS, JETTIES
AND PIERS. HEED THE ADVICE OF LIFEGUARDS, BEACH PATROL FLAGS AND
SIGNS.

IF YOU BECOME CAUGHT IN A RIP CURRENT, YELL FOR HELP. REMAIN CALM,
DO NOT EXHAUST YOURSELF AND STAY AFLOAT WHILE WAITING FOR HELP. IF
YOU HAVE TO SWIM OUT OF A RIP CURRENT, SWIM PARALLEL TO SHORE AND
BACK TOWARD THE BEACH WHEN POSSIBLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SWIM DIRECTLY
AGAINST A RIP CURRENT AS YOU WILL TIRE QUICKLY. 

&&

$$

RAN

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in North Carolina, 2017Every rip current statement in 2017

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.