Alert archive / South Carolina / Beach Hazards Statements in 2026

Beach Hazards Statement 10, NWS Wilmington, NC

May 6, 2026Georgetown County, Horry County, South Carolina; New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this beach hazards statement at May 6, 2026, 7:47 PM EDT for Georgetown County, Horry County, South Carolina; New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina. It took effect at May 7, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 14 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 6, 2026, 7:47 PM EDT (23:47 UTC)
In effect from
May 7, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT
Expired
May 7, 2026, 7:52 PM EDT
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC

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

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 7 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:48 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, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 172 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 2026-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2026-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 92 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1122 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
92 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
108 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

204 
WHUS42 KILM 062347
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
747 PM EDT Wed May 6 2026

SCZ054-080000-
/O.EXP.KILM.BH.S.0009.000000T0000Z-260507T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KILM.BH.S.0010.260507T1000Z-260508T0000Z/
Coastal Horry-
747 PM EDT Wed May 6 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EDT THURSDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING...
...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Strong south to north longshore current. There is also a
  Moderate Risk of rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Coastal Horry County.

* WHEN...From 6 AM EDT Thursday through Thursday evening.

* IMPACTS...Longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers 
  into rip currents, piers, jetties, and other hazardous areas. 
  It may sweep swimmers off their feet, making it difficult to 
  return to shore.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Caution should be used when in or near the water. Check with
lifeguards before entering the ocean for possible hazards you may
be swept into.

&&

$$

NCZ106-108-SCZ056-080000-
/O.EXP.KILM.BH.S.0009.000000T0000Z-260507T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KILM.BH.S.0010.260507T1000Z-260508T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Georgetown-
747 PM EDT Wed May 6 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EDT THURSDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING...
...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Strong south to north longshore current. There is also a
  Moderate Risk of rip currents expected.

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

* WHEN...From 6 AM EDT Thursday through Thursday evening.

* IMPACTS...Longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers 
  into rip currents, piers, jetties, and other hazardous areas. 
  It may sweep swimmers off their feet, making it difficult to 
  return to shore.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Caution should be used when in or near the water. Check with
lifeguards before entering the ocean for possible hazards you may
be swept into.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
487 
WHUS42 KILM 062348
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
748 PM EDT Wed May 6 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-080000-
/O.CON.KILM.BH.S.0010.260507T1000Z-260508T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
748 PM EDT Wed May 6 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EDT
THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...Strong south to north longshore current. There is also a
  Moderate Risk of rip currents expected.

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

* WHEN...From 6 AM EDT Thursday through Thursday evening.

* IMPACTS...Longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers 
  into rip currents, piers, jetties, and other hazardous areas. 
  It may sweep swimmers off their feet, making it difficult to 
  return to shore.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Caution should be used when in or near the water. Check with
lifeguards before entering the ocean for possible hazards you may
be swept into.

&&

$$
657 
WHUS42 KILM 070635
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
235 AM EDT Thu May 7 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-080000-
/O.CON.KILM.BH.S.0010.260507T1000Z-260508T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
235 AM EDT Thu May 7 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM EDT THIS
MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Strong south to north longshore current. There is also a
  Moderate Risk of rip currents expected.

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

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

* IMPACTS...Longshore currents can sweep swimmers and surfers 
  into rip currents, piers, jetties, and other hazardous areas. 
  It may sweep swimmers off their feet, making it difficult to 
  return to shore.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Caution should be used when in or near the water. Check with
lifeguards before entering the ocean for possible hazards you may
be swept into.

&&

$$

9
396 
WHUS42 KILM 072352
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
752 PM EDT Thu May 7 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-080100-
/O.CAN.KILM.BH.S.0010.000000T0000Z-260508T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
752 PM EDT Thu May 7 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT IS CANCELLED...

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this beach hazards statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this beach hazards statement went out at May 6, 2:51 PM EDT, 4 hours 56 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • 1) Showers likely on Thursday ahead of a cold front. 2) Rain chances return this weekend into early next week.
Area forecast discussion, May 6, 2:51 PM EDT, 4 hours 56 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
251 PM EDT Wed May 6 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
Confidence has increased in showers and storms on Thursday.
Severe weather chances remain low.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Showers likely on Thursday ahead of a cold front.

2) Rain chances return this weekend into early next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1: Showers likely on Thursday ahead of a cold front.

Shower chances remain high on Thursday. The timing of these
showers appears to have settled into two distinct windows. A
deepening upper level trough will support convection west of the
area overnight. This mass of showers and thunderstorms will
progress eastward with remnant convection moving into the area
after sunrise on Thursday. This appears to be the best chance of
rain across the area. SPC maintains a marginal risk of severe
weather tomorrow, but modeled instability and lightning
probabilities have shifted southward. This is consistent with
the expectation that downshear venting of ongoing convection
will lead to a cold pool ahead of the updrafts. This would force
the convection to drift southeastward in search of sustenance.
While severe weather probabilities are low, they are not zero
due to strong winds aloft. Showers could bring some of that
momentum toward the surface, especially after sunrise (more
likely east of I-95 and south of US-74).

Rainfall probabilities decrease during the mid afternoon (after
18Z), but this will not be a "clean" end to rain chances.
Isolated showers will likely exist in a warm and moist low-level
environment. The second round of showers is likely after 02Z
when the primary cold front begins to drift southward. Dry air
will follow the front, so rain chances should end just after
midnight for all areas.

KEY MESSAGE 2: Rain chances return this weekend into early next
week.

Fairly low confidence forecast in place for this weekend into
early next week following a definite dry day on Friday. Guidance
continues to be inconsistent with regards to timing and
strength of waves of energy within a broader upr-level trough.
For now, the highest PoPs are Sunday and Monday ahead of and
along an approaching sfc cold front. Depending on the timing of
the front, thunderstorms and heavy rain are possible late Monday
as well. Will fine-tune the details and timing as we get closer
in time.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
VFR expected to continue today. CIGs begin to descend tonight as
a cold front approaches the area. Showers ahead of the cold
front will spread eastward by late tonight into Thursday
morning. LAMP guidance suggests that CIGs will become MVFR by
sunrise, especially inland where showers begin prior to 12Z.
Mixed guidance with climo in a warm advective flow, maintaining
VFR prior to showers, MVFR as showers move eastward but flow
remains SW, sub-IFR once winds turn NW-erly. Showers and storms
reach the coast by mid-morning. The heaviest rain appears more
likely after the 18Z period east of I-95.

Extended Forecast... Widespread restrictions expected late
Thursday. Restrictions may continue through early Friday due to
northerly winds behind a cold front. Another brief chance of
rain on Saturday could produce restrictions near the coast.
Unsettled weather continues on Sunday and Monday.

&&

.MARINE...
Through Thursday... Southerly winds remain breezy today as the
gradient tightens ahead of a cold front tomorrow. Winds over
the nearshore waters could gust to 20-25 knots at times tonight.
Seas of 3-4 feet tonight increase to 4-5 feet on Thursday.
Gradient winds and seas are unlikely to reach SCA thresholds for
a prolonged period on Thursday. Model guidance has illustrated
a brief increase during the late morning and early afternoon
which coincides convective probabilities. This line of showers
and storms will move offshore, but confidence in its exact
location is low. Any potentially hazardous conditions will be
handled with convective warnings due to the brevity of the
threat.

Thursday night through Monday... The CAA following the cold
fropa late Thursday is not particularly strong, so winds
Thursday night are not expected to be any higher than they are
Thursday. Sfc high pressure passes through on Friday before
southerly flow redevelops for the rest of the period with the
high staying offshore. Winds up to 10-15 kt Saturday and Sunday
will increase up to 15-20 kt Sunday night and Monday as the
pressure gradient tightens ahead of the next cold front. Seas
will remains below SCA thresholds as well.

&&

.ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...Beach Hazards Statement until 8 PM EDT this evening for NCZ106-
     108.
SC...Beach Hazards Statement until 8 PM EDT this evening for SCZ054-
     056.
MARINE...None.

&&

WHAT HAS CHANGED...21
KEY MESSAGES...MAS/21
DISCUSSION...MAS/21
AVIATION...21
MARINE...MAS/21

Nearby

Beach Hazards Statements in South Carolina, 2026Beach Hazards Statements in North Carolina, 2026Every beach hazards 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.