Alert archive / South Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 4, NWS Charleston, SC

August 2, 2026Charleston County, South Carolina

NWS Charleston, SC issued this rip current statement at Aug 2, 2026, 2:09 AM EDT for Charleston County, South Carolina. It took effect at Aug 2, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 12 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 2, 2026, 2:09 AM EDT (06:09 UTC)
In effect from
Aug 2, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT
Expired
Aug 2, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Charleston, SC

County Charleston County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:09 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, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 18 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 2026-08-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1738 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2026-08-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -11 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1738 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
846 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
3 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
26 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

795 
WHUS42 KCHS 020609
CFWCHS

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Charleston SC
209 AM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

SCZ150-021415-
/O.NEW.KCHS.RP.S.0004.260802T1200Z-260803T0000Z/
Charleston-
209 AM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING
THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Charleston County.

* WHEN...From 8 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.

&&

$$
4 follow-up statements
778 
WHUS42 KCHS 020610
CFWCHS

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Charleston SC
210 AM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

SCZ150-021900-
/O.CON.KCHS.RP.S.0004.260802T1200Z-260803T0000Z/
Charleston-
210 AM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT THIS
MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Charleston County.

* WHEN...From 8 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.

&&

$$
072 
WHUS42 KCHS 021632
CFWCHS

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Charleston SC
1232 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

SCZ150-030000-
/O.CON.KCHS.RP.S.0004.000000T0000Z-260803T0000Z/
Charleston-
1232 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Charleston 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.

&&

$$
567 
WHUS42 KCHS 021811
CFWCHS

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Charleston SC
211 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

SCZ150-030000-
/O.CON.KCHS.RP.S.0004.000000T0000Z-260803T0000Z/
Charleston-
211 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* WHERE...Charleston 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.

&&

$$
135 
WHUS42 KCHS 030014
CFWCHS

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Charleston SC
814 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

SCZ150-030115-
/O.EXP.KCHS.RP.S.0004.000000T0000Z-260803T0000Z/
Charleston-
814 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

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

The HIGH risk of rip currents has ended; however, a MODERATE risk
of rip currents continues at all area beaches.

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Charleston, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 2, 3:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSAllendale41 min
Aug 2, 3:42 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCHSAllendale48 min

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in South Carolina, 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.