Beach Hazards Statement 37, NWS Wilmington, NC

191 
WHUS42 KILM 210640
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
240 AM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

NCZ110-220000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0012.260721T1000Z-260722T0000Z/
Coastal Brunswick-
240 AM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents expected.

* WHERE...Coastal Brunswick County.

* WHEN...Today.

* 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.

&&

$$

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-220000-
/O.CON.KILM.BH.S.0037.260721T1000Z-260722T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
240 AM EDT Tue Jul 21 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...Today.

* 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.

&&

$$

LEW

223 
WHUS42 KILM 220011
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
811 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-220115-
/O.EXP.KILM.BH.S.0037.000000T0000Z-260722T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
811 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT HAS EXPIRED...

$$

NCZ110-220115-
/O.EXP.KILM.RP.S.0012.000000T0000Z-260722T0000Z/
Coastal Brunswick-
811 PM EDT Tue Jul 21 2026

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

$$

dch

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
706 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
Aviationa discussion updated and heat advisory has been allowed
to expire.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) Hot weather continues through the first half of this week with
additional Heat Advisories possible.

2) Best chances for rain arrive with a strong cold front during mid
to late week, including a risk for strong thunderstorms and flash
flooding.

3) A period of enhanced winds and seas will exist through
midweek as a stronger cold front drops down from the north.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1...Hot weather continues through Wednesday with
additional Heat Advisories possible.

The region will remain sandwiched between mid-upper troughing to the
north and the closed mid-upper low associated with T.D Two to the
south, leaving a weak ridge axis in between. Temperatures in the low-
mid troposphere are forecast to hold at similar levels to those
observed over the weekend, supporting continued above-normal
temperatures and heat indices breaching 100F. The extent of
cloudiness and showers/storms will affect whether some areas reach
heat indices of 105F, but it appears additional Heat Advisories are
possible until the next front comes down mid to late week.
Until then, coverage of showers/storms should remain isolated
through Wednesday.

KEY MESSAGE 2...Best chances for rain arrive with a strong cold
front during mid to late week, including a risk for strong
thunderstorms and flash flooding.

The stalled front will continue to lift back to the north
leaving the threat of isolated to widely scattered pop-up
showers and storms through Wed. Any stronger storms will mainly
remain north of the local area as the front lifts north, with the
focus of any convection along the sea breeze and any
convergence zones that happen to form inland. An isolated
strong to damaging wind gust cannot be ruled out if a storm can
take advantage of the steep low-level lapse rates combined with
a heavy, water-loaded downdraft. Something to watch is the
progression of showers and storms to the north, which could send
outflow into our northern tier of counties (Pender through
Marlboro) and produce areas of heavy showers and storms through
late day. Tuesday is looking drier with only isolated convection
at the most.

As troughing becomes reinforced over the eastern CONUS during
midweek, a stronger cold front is progged to push southward during
the Wednesday/Thursday timeframe. While guidance tools have slowed
down the frontal progression and suggest Wednesday will be another
hot and mostly dry day with isolated pop-up showers and storms, the
incoming front is likely to enhance precip coverage into the
scattered to numerous realm when it does arrive, which could be over
Wednesday night into Thursday.

How far south this front reaches before stalling, and when this
occurs, still carries low confidence as guidance tools remain
mixed with respect to its position, so this will need to be
monitored as shower and storm coverage could be enhanced through
the remainder of the week and into the weekend if the front is
stalled along the coast as opposed to further offshore over the
Gulf Stream.

In addition, this front is expected to bring a risk for isolated
thunderstorms with strong to locally damaging wind gusts as wind
shear increases to 15-25 kts on Wednesday and Thursday. Perhaps the
more notable threat is for flash flooding from heavy storms
backbuilding and/or tracking over the same area multiple times.
The flash flooding threat will persist if the front stalls along
or just inland of the coast.

KEY MESSAGE 3...A period of enhanced winds and seas will exist
through midweek as a stronger cold front drops down from the
north.

See marine discussion below.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Storm coverage and strength has been gradually decreasing during
the last hour and this trend will continue, likely at a quicker
pace. The loss of diurnal instability will allow for more stable
conditions to develop across the area. Winds will remain
sufficient overnight to prevent fog development and limited boundary
layer moisture will prevent stratus. VFR will dominate once the
few lingering evening showers come to an end in the next hour
or so.any widespread

Scattered afternoon and evening storms will be possible again on
Tuesday, but coverage will once again be limited by an overall
unfavorable environment. Brief IFR/MVFR will be possible with
any storms which will be possible at any terminal. Strong
southwest winds will develop with potential for gusts around 30
kt along the coast by midday and in excess of 20 kt inland in
the afternoon.

Extended Forecast...Potential for MVFR/IFR from storms will
gradually increase beginning Wednesday and remain possible
through Saturday, mainly in the afternoon and evening.

&&

.MARINE...
Monday night through Saturday...Steady south to southwest winds
are expected through midweek with daily enhancements nearshore
due to the sea breeze. An approaching cold front will help
tighten the pressure gradient from Tuesday afternoon into
Wednesday night, resulting in the issuance of a Small Craft
Advisory with winds and seas firmly above criteria. Winds
diminish overnight Wednesday into Thursday as a cold front
drifts in from the north and stalls near or over the waters,
resulting in low confidence regarding the wind direction on
Friday pending the location of the front.

Seas down around 2 to 4 ft will rise to 4 to 6 ft by late
Tuesday, remaining through late Wednesday. Seas will diminish
to 2 to 4 ft through Thursday as winds weaken. Marine conditions
should remain below any thresholds with lower winds and seas as
cold front remains in vicinity.

&&

.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...Small Craft Advisory from 11 AM Tuesday to 10 PM EDT Wednesday
 for AMZ250-252-254-256.

&&

WHAT HAS CHANGED...ILM
KEY MESSAGES...RGZ
DISCUSSION...RGZ
AVIATION...III
MARINE...RGZ

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
227 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

NCZ105-201900-
Inland Pender NC-
227 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN PENDER COUNTY
THROUGH 300 PM EDT...

At 226 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Maple Hill, or 10 miles east of Wallace, moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Maple Hill.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3464 7789 3472 7790 3472 7768 3470 7767
      3461 7763
TIME...MOT...LOC 1826Z 270DEG 17KT 3469 7781

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

21

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
417 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

NCZ096-202100-
Bladen NC-
417 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN BLADEN COUNTY
THROUGH 500 PM EDT...

At 416 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Council, or 13 miles southeast of Elizabethtown, moving east at 25
mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Rowan, Carvers, Lisbon, Lagoon, Council, Emerson, Kelly, and East
Arcadia.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3464 7831 3463 7832 3461 7831 3456 7825
      3454 7827 3451 7826 3449 7824 3449 7821
      3446 7818 3440 7826 3437 7833 3438 7844
      3442 7856 3452 7860 3459 7852 3465 7832
TIME...MOT...LOC 2016Z 259DEG 20KT 3447 7848

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

21

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
423 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

NCZ087-096-202115-
Robeson NC-Bladen NC-
423 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN ROBESON AND
NORTHWESTERN BLADEN COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT...

At 423 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Howellsville, or 8 miles northeast of Lumberton, moving northeast at
25 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Lumberton, St. Pauls, Howellsville, Duart, Tolarsville, Ammon,
Robeson Community College, Tobermory, Barker Ten Mile, White Oak,
Jerome, Tar Heel, and Southeastern Regional Medical Center.

This includes Interstate 95 in North Carolina between mile markers 13
and 32.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3486 7892 3484 7890 3485 7880 3485 7862
      3477 7855 3462 7898 3459 7911 3467 7917
      3488 7892
TIME...MOT...LOC 2023Z 238DEG 20KT 3474 7894

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

21

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
453 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

NCZ105-202145-
Inland Pender NC-
453 PM EDT Mon Jul 20 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN PENDER COUNTY
THROUGH 545 PM EDT...

At 453 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Rowan, or 19 miles east of Elizabethtown, moving northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Penderlea, Willard, Atkinson, and Watha.

This includes Interstate 40 near mile marker 394.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3463 7793 3449 7822 3449 7824 3450 7825
      3452 7826 3453 7826 3454 7827 3455 7826
      3468 7816 3471 7811 3472 7811 3472 7805
      3473 7801
TIME...MOT...LOC 2053Z 240DEG 20KT 3457 7828

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

21