Alert archive / North Carolina / Rip Current Statements in 2026

Rip Current Statement 16, NWS Wilmington, NC

August 8, 2026New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina; Georgetown County, Horry County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this rip current statement at Aug 8, 2026, 9:03 AM EDT for New Hanover County, Pender County, North Carolina; Georgetown County, Horry County, South Carolina. It was in force for 11 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 8, 2026, 9:03 AM EDT (13:03 UTC)
Expired
Aug 8, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
11 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 13:04 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, 1.1 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 2026-08-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 962 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 2026-08-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 15 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
962 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
852 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
15 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
9 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

339 
WHUS42 KILM 081303
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
903 AM EDT Sat Aug 8 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-090000-
/O.NEW.KILM.RP.S.0016.260808T1303Z-260809T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
903 AM EDT Sat Aug 8 2026

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

* WHAT...Dangerous rip currents.

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

* WHEN...Until 8 PM EDT 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.

&&

$$

ABW
1 follow-up statement
089 
WHUS42 KILM 082342
CFWILM

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
742 PM EDT Sat Aug 8 2026

NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-090045-
/O.EXP.KILM.RP.S.0016.000000T0000Z-260809T0000Z/
Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-
Coastal Georgetown-
742 PM EDT Sat Aug 8 2026

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

$$

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in North Carolina, 2026Rip Current Statements in South 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.