Alert archive / North Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2025

Rip Current Statement 6, NWS Wilmington, NC

May 12, 2025Brunswick County, New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina; Georgetown County, Horry County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at May 12, 2025, 7:44 PM EDT for Brunswick County, New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina; Georgetown County, Horry County, South Carolina. It took effect at May 13, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 14 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 12, 2025, 7:44 PM EDT (23:44 UTC)
In effect from
May 13, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT
Expired
May 13, 2025, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC

Counties Brunswick County, NC, New Hanover County, NC, Pender County, NC, Georgetown County, SC, Horry County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 3 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:47 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 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 168 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 12:00Z on 2025-05-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 317 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 12:00Z on 2025-05-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 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
317 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
724 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
150 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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.

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
162 
WHUS42 KILM 130813
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
413 AM EDT Tue May 13 2025

NCZ106-108-110-SCZ054-056-140000-
/O.CON.KILM.RP.S.0006.250513T1000Z-250514T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Brunswick-
Coastal Horry-Coastal Georgetown-
413 AM EDT Tue May 13 2025

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...In North Carolina, Coastal Pender, Coastal New Hanover 
  and Coastal Brunswick Counties. In South Carolina, Coastal 
  Horry and Coastal Georgetown 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.

&&

$$
787 
WHUS42 KILM 132357
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
757 PM EDT Tue May 13 2025

NCZ106-108-110-SCZ054-056-140100-
/O.EXP.KILM.RP.S.0006.000000T0000Z-250514T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Brunswick-
Coastal Horry-Coastal Georgetown-
757 PM EDT Tue May 13 2025

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

Rip current risk will be moderate for Wednesday for all area
beaches as swell decreases. Therefore CFW will expire at 8pm.

$$

19

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 12, 4:35 AM EDTRip Current StatementILMNew Hanover, Pender15 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.