Alert archive / North Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2025

Rip Current Statement 5, NWS Wilmington, NC

May 12, 2025New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at May 12, 2025, 4:35 AM EDT for New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina. It took effect at May 12, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 14 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 12, 2025, 4:35 AM EDT (08:35 UTC)
In effect from
May 12, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT
Expired
May 12, 2025, 7:44 PM EDT
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC

Counties New Hanover County, NC, Pender County, NC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 65 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:36 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, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 103 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 2025-05-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 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 2025-05-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 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
897 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
166 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

522 
WHUS42 KILM 120835
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
435 AM EDT Mon May 12 2025

NCZ106-108-121545-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0005.250512T1000Z-250513T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-
435 AM EDT Mon May 12 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected especially within a 5
  hour window centered at this afternoons low tide around 2 pm. 

* WHERE...Coastal Pender and Coastal New Hanover Counties.

* WHEN...Through 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.

&&

$$
ralf
2 follow-up statements
068 
WHUS42 KILM 121509
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
1109 AM EDT Mon May 12 2025

NCZ106-108-130000-
/O.CON.KILM.RP.S.0005.000000T0000Z-250513T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-
1109 AM EDT Mon May 12 2025

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Coastal Pender and Coastal New Hanover Counties.

* 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.

&&

$$
611 
WHUS42 KILM 122344
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
744 PM EDT Mon May 12 2025

NCZ106-108-131000-
/O.CAN.KILM.RP.S.0005.000000T0000Z-250513T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0006.250513T1000Z-250514T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-
744 PM EDT Mon May 12 2025

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Coastal Pender and Coastal New Hanover Counties.

* 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.

&&

$$

NCZ110-SCZ054-056-131000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0006.250513T1000Z-250514T0000Z/
Coastal Brunswick-Coastal Horry-Coastal Georgetown-
744 PM EDT Mon May 12 2025

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

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

* 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.

&&

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 12, 7:44 PM EDTRip Current StatementILMBrunswick, New Hanover, Pender24 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in North 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.