Alert archive / North Carolina / Beach Hazards Statements in 2026

Beach Hazards Statement 39, NWS Wilmington, NC

July 22, 2026New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina; Georgetown County, Horry County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this beach hazards statement at Jul 22, 2026, 8:26 PM EDT for New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina; Georgetown County, Horry County, South Carolina. It took effect at Jul 23, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 13 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 22, 2026, 8:26 PM EDT (00:26 UTC)
In effect from
Jul 23, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT
Expired
Jul 23, 2026, 6:39 PM EDT
In force
13 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 00:27 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 00:00Z, 0.4 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 00:00Z on 2026-07-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 858 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2026-07-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 111 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
858 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-89 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1215 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
9.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

908 
WHUS42 KILM 230026
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
826 PM EDT Wed Jul 22 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-240000-
/O.NEW.KILM.BH.S.0039.260723T1000Z-260724T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
826 PM EDT Wed Jul 22 2026

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

* WHAT...Strong south to north longshore current expected. 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.

&&

$$
dch
1 follow-up statement
307 
WHUS42 KILM 232239
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
639 PM EDT Thu Jul 23 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-232345-
/O.CAN.KILM.BH.S.0039.000000T0000Z-260724T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
639 PM EDT Thu Jul 23 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT IS CANCELLED...


$$

dch

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 Jul 22, 3:00 PM EDT, 5 hours 26 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • 1)Slow-moving cold front will bring periods of heavy showers and thunderstorms mainly between Thursday and Saturday night, with an attendant risk for localized flash flooding.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 22, 3:00 PM EDT, 5 hours 26 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
300 PM EDT Wed Jul 22 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
All sections updated with no real change to forecast thinking.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1)Slow-moving cold front will bring periods of heavy showers
and thunderstorms mainly between Thursday and Saturday night,
with an attendant risk for localized flash flooding.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

KEY MESSAGE 1...Slow-moving cold front will bring periods of
heavy showers and thunderstorms mainly between Thursday and
Saturday night, with an attendant risk for localized flash
flooding.

KEY MESSAGE 1 DESCRIPTION...
Rain will gradually overspread the area
late tonight from the NW as the front arrives. The boundary is
progged to stall along the coast through both Friday and Saturday.
And while this will bring some no doubt welcome drought releif it
also sets the stage for training thunderstorms and flash flooding.
WPC is depicting a 3 day QPF of 1-2" across most of the area with a
localized max of 3" in the Cape Fear region due to it being closest
to the boundary. The showers and additional cloud cover will cap the
heat below advisory thresholds across most of the area though a
marginal advisory still looks possible ahead of the boundary along
sections near the immediate coast. After the front washes out over
the weekend next week will start to warm gradually, eventually
possibly needing advisories towards the end of the forecast period.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
A relatively rare convection-less July day will mean VFR for most of
the TAF cycle. SW winds will continue to be gusty as a front
approaches. The approach of the front will call for PROB30s for
FLO/LBT late tonight into early tomorrow as showers and storms
approach from the northwest, though the exact timing is uncertain.

Extended Forecast...Potential for periodic MVFR/IFR due to storms
remains possible through late Sat, most numerous in the afternoon
and evening.

&&

.MARINE...
SCA still in effect but winds and seas forecast to abate
tonight as the approach of a cold front pushes the tighter
gradient out to sea. This will become more pronounced heading
into Friday as the front stalls along the coast. Right now it
looks like winds only veer as far as westerly and no northerly
component becomes established, though should this occur it would
only be over northernmost 0-20nm zone. Seas comprised mostly of
shorter period wind chop, not forecast to change appreciably
through the period as even late in the forecast any swell energy
that develops will remain well offshore in S to SW flow.

&&

.ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...Heat Advisory until 7 PM EDT this evening for NCZ096-099-
     105>110.
     Beach Hazards Statement until 8 PM EDT this evening for NCZ106-
     108.
SC...Heat Advisory until 7 PM EDT this evening for SCZ054-058-059.
     Beach Hazards Statement until 8 PM EDT this evening for SCZ054-
     056.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM EDT this evening for AMZ250-
     252-254-256.

&&

WHAT HAS CHANGED...ILM
KEY MESSAGES...MBB
DISCUSSION...MBB
AVIATION...MBB
MARINE...MBB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 23, 1:39 AM EDTFlood WatchILMBladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Pender, Robeson61 hr

Nearby

Beach Hazards Statements in North Carolina, 2026Beach Hazards Statements in South 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.