Alert archive / North Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2026
Rip Current Statement 12, NWS Wilmington, NC
NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at Jul 21, 2026, 2:40 AM EDT for Brunswick County, North Carolina. It took effect at Jul 21, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 14 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 21, 2026, 2:40 AM EDT (06:40 UTC)
- In effect from
- Jul 21, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT
- Expired
- Jul 21, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 14 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Wilmington, NC
County Brunswick County, NC
The radar
The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:41 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, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 149 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2220 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -21 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 911 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 55 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 42 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 3.7
The text
As transmitted.
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
1 follow-up statement
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
The office that day
Everything else NWS Wilmington, NC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 8:02 PM EDT | Beach Hazards Statement | ILM | New Hanover, Pender | 24 hr |
| Jul 20, 8:51 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | ILM | Bladen | 24 min |
| Jul 21, 2:36 AM EDT | Heat Advisory | ILM | Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Pender, Robeson | 16 hr |
| Jul 21, 1:25 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | ILM | Bladen | 35 min |
Nearby
Rip Current Statements in North 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.