Alert archive / North Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2025

Rip Current Statement 4, NWS Wilmington, NC

May 3, 2025Brunswick County, Pender County, North Carolina; Horry County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at May 3, 2025, 8:02 PM EDT for Brunswick County, Pender County, North Carolina; Horry County, South Carolina. It took effect at May 4, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 14 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 3, 2025, 8:02 PM EDT (00:02 UTC)
In effect from
May 4, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT
Expired
May 4, 2025, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC

Counties Brunswick County, NC, Pender County, NC, Horry County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:05 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, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 153 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 2025-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 90 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 2025-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 162 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
90 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
978 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
162 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
144 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

887 
WHUS42 KILM 040002
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
802 PM EDT Sat May 3 2025

NCZ106-110-SCZ054-041600-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0004.250504T1000Z-250505T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal Brunswick-Coastal Horry-
802 PM EDT Sat May 3 2025

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...In North Carolina, Coastal Pender and Coastal 
  Brunswick Counties. In South Carolina, Coastal Horry County.

* WHEN...From 6 AM EDT Sunday through Sunday 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.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
527 
WHUS42 KILM 041439
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
1039 AM EDT Sun May 4 2025

NCZ106-110-SCZ054-050000-
/O.CON.KILM.RP.S.0004.000000T0000Z-250505T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal Brunswick-Coastal Horry-
1039 AM EDT Sun May 4 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...In North Carolina, Coastal Pender and Coastal 
  Brunswick Counties. In South Carolina, Coastal Horry County.

* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT this 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.

&&

$$
841 
WHUS42 KILM 050001
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
801 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025

NCZ106-110-SCZ054-050115-
/O.EXP.KILM.RP.S.0004.000000T0000Z-250505T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal Brunswick-Coastal Horry-
801 PM EDT Sun May 4 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK HAS EXPIRED...

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 4:47 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMBrunswick, Columbus36 min
May 4, 5:22 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningILM68 min
May 4, 5:25 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMBrunswick, New Hanover, Pender80 min
May 4, 6:27 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningILM47 min
May 4, 1:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMBladen61 min
May 4, 3:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMPender37 min
May 4, 5:22 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMBladen53 min
May 4, 5:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMBladen, Columbus29 min
May 4, 6:16 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMBladen29 min
May 4, 6:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMBladen42 min
May 4, 7:16 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMRobeson44 min
May 3, 8:06 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMDarlington, Marlboro54 min
May 3, 9:20 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryILMDarlington55 min
May 4, 1:58 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMDarlington, Marlboro77 min
May 4, 3:18 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMGeorgetown57 min
May 4, 6:32 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMHorry58 min

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.