Alert archive / North Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 13, NWS Wilmington, NC

August 2, 2026Brunswick County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at Aug 2, 2026, 11:02 AM EDT for Brunswick County, North Carolina. It was in force for 9 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 2, 2026, 11:02 AM EDT (15:02 UTC)
Expired
Aug 2, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
9 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 15:05 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, 3.0 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2026-08-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1637 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2026-08-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 120 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
1637 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
720 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
120 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
129 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

583 
WHUS42 KILM 021502
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
1102 AM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

NCZ110-030000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0013.260802T1502Z-260803T0000Z/
Coastal Brunswick-
1102 AM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

* 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-SCZ054-056-030000-
/O.CON.KILM.BH.S.0041.000000T0000Z-260803T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
1102 AM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

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

* 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.

&&

$$
1 follow-up statement
963 
WHUS42 KILM 022352
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
752 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-030100-
/O.EXP.KILM.BH.S.0041.000000T0000Z-260803T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
752 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...



$$

NCZ110-030100-
/O.EXP.KILM.RP.S.0013.000000T0000Z-260803T0000Z/
Coastal Brunswick-
752 PM EDT Sun Aug 2 2026

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK WILL EXPIRE AT 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...



$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 2, 6:24 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMColumbus36 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.