Alert archive / Massachusetts / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 15, NWS Boston/Norton, MA

September 21, 20268 counties in Massachusetts; 5 counties in Rhode Island

NWS Boston/Norton, MA issued this rip current statement at Sep 21, 2026, 2:15 PM EDT for 8 counties in Massachusetts; 5 counties in Rhode Island. It took effect at Sep 22, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 14 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 21, 2026, 2:15 PM EDT (18:15 UTC)
In effect from
Sep 22, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT
Expired
Sep 22, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Boston/Norton, MA

Counties Barnstable County, MA, Bristol County, MA, Dukes County, MA, Essex County, MA, Nantucket County, MA, Norfolk County, MA, Plymouth County, MA, Suffolk County, MA, Bristol County, RI, Kent County, RI, Newport County, RI, Providence County, RI, Washington County, RI

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 20 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:16 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

Brookhaven, NY (KOKX), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 186 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, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-09-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 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, Brookhaven, NY at 12:00Z on 2026-09-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -27 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
464 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

449 
WHUS41 KBOX 211815
CFWBOX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
215 PM EDT Mon Sep 21 2026

MAZ007-015-016-019>024-RIZ002-004>008-221100-
/O.NEW.KBOX.RP.S.0015.260922T1000Z-260923T0000Z/
Eastern Essex MA-Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-
Eastern Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-Southern Plymouth MA-
Barnstable MA-Dukes MA-Nantucket MA-Southeast Providence RI-
Eastern Kent RI-Bristol RI-Washington RI-Newport RI-
Block Island RI-
215 PM EDT Mon Sep 21 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH
TUESDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Massachusetts and Rhode Island coasts.

* WHEN...From Tuesday morning 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
244 
WHUS41 KBOX 220558
CFWBOX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
158 AM EDT Tue Sep 22 2026

MAZ007-015-016-019>024-RIZ002-004>008-221900-
/O.CON.KBOX.RP.S.0015.260922T1000Z-260923T0000Z/
Eastern Essex MA-Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-
Eastern Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-Southern Plymouth MA-
Barnstable MA-Dukes MA-Nantucket MA-Southeast Providence RI-
Eastern Kent RI-Bristol RI-Washington RI-Newport RI-
Block Island RI-
158 AM EDT Tue Sep 22 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EDT THIS
MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Portions of eastern, northeastern and southeastern 
  Massachusetts and northern and southern Rhode Island.

* WHEN...From 6 AM EDT this morning 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.

&&

$$
158 
WHUS41 KBOX 222030
CFWBOX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Boston/Norton MA
430 PM EDT Tue Sep 22 2026

MAZ007-015-016-019>024-RIZ002-004>008-230000-
/O.CON.KBOX.RP.S.0015.000000T0000Z-260923T0000Z/
Eastern Essex MA-Suffolk MA-Eastern Norfolk MA-
Eastern Plymouth MA-Southern Bristol MA-Southern Plymouth MA-
Barnstable MA-Dukes MA-Nantucket MA-Southeast Providence RI-
Eastern Kent RI-Bristol RI-Washington RI-Newport RI-
Block Island RI-
430 PM EDT Tue Sep 22 2026

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Portions of eastern, northeastern and southeastern 
  Massachusetts and northern and southern Rhode Island.

* 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.

&&

$$

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Massachusetts, 2026Rip Current Statements in Rhode Island, 2026Every rip current statement in 2026

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.