Alert archive / North Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2025

Rip Current Statement 26, NWS Wilmington, NC

September 21, 2025New Hanover County, North Carolina; Georgetown County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at Sep 21, 2025, 8:15 PM EDT for New Hanover County, North Carolina; Georgetown County, South Carolina. It took effect at Sep 22, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 14 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 21, 2025, 8:15 PM EDT (00:15 UTC)
In effect from
Sep 22, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT
Expired
Sep 22, 2025, 7:33 PM EDT
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC

Counties New Hanover County, NC, Georgetown County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:16 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

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 165 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2025-09-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2025-09-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -86 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1316 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-86 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-25 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

780 
WHUS42 KILM 220015
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
815 PM EDT Sun Sep 21 2025

NCZ108-SCZ056-230000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0026.250922T1000Z-250923T0000Z/
Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Georgetown-
815 PM EDT Sun Sep 21 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EDT MONDAY THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...In North Carolina, Coastal New Hanover County. In 
  South Carolina, Coastal Georgetown County.

* WHEN...From 6 AM EDT Monday through Monday evening.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away 
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$

LEW
1 follow-up statement
793 
WHUS42 KILM 222333
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
733 PM EDT Mon Sep 22 2025

NCZ108-240000-
/O.CAN.KILM.RP.S.0026.000000T0000Z-250923T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0027.250923T1000Z-250924T0000Z/
Coastal New Hanover-
733 PM EDT Mon Sep 22 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EDT TUESDAY THROUGH
TUESDAY EVENING...
...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS CANCELLED...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Coastal New Hanover County.

* WHEN...From 6 AM EDT Tuesday through Tuesday evening.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$

SCZ056-230045-
/O.CAN.KILM.RP.S.0026.000000T0000Z-250923T0000Z/
Coastal Georgetown-
733 PM EDT Mon Sep 22 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IS CANCELLED...


$$

NCZ106-240000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0027.250923T1000Z-250924T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-
733 PM EDT Mon Sep 22 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EDT TUESDAY THROUGH
TUESDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Coastal Pender County.

* WHEN...From 6 AM EDT Tuesday through Tuesday evening.

* IMPACTS...Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away
  from shore into deeper water.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and
float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a
direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the
shore and call or wave for help.

&&

$$

21

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wilmington, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 22, 7:33 PM EDTRip Current StatementILMNew Hanover, Pender24 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in North Carolina, 2025Rip Current Statements in South Carolina, 2025Every rip current statement in 2025

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.