Special Marine Warning for NC Coastal Waters
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NWS has issued a Special Marine Warning for waters off North Carolina due to a severe thunderstorm with wind gusts and large hail until 12:30 PM EDT.
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- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- North Carolina Coastal Waters
- Issued
- August 21, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Newport/Morehead City NC
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: publication date is recent, but current status is not stored on this page. Check the issuing agency's live warning service before acting because warnings can be updated, narrowed, or cancelled.
Alert Details
Special Marine Warning issued by NWS Newport/Morehead City NC. Effective from 11:29 AM EDT August 21, 2026, until 12:30 PM EDT August 21, 2026. Severity: Severe. Urgency: Immediate. Certainty: Likely.
Affected Areas
Waters from Cape Hatteras to Ocracoke Inlet NC from 20 to 60 NM. Waters from Ocracoke Inlet to Cape Lookout NC from 20 to 60 NM.
What You Should Do
Frequent lightning is occurring with this storm. If caught on the open water stay below deck if possible, keep away from ungrounded metal objects.
Expected Conditions
At 11:29 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 42 nm east of Atlas Tanker, moving northeast at 20 knots. Hazard: Wind gusts 34 knots or greater and large hail. Impact: Small craft could be damaged in briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves. Large hail could result in structural damage. The severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly open waters.
Timeline
Alert effective August 21, 2026, from 11:29 AM EDT to 12:30 PM EDT.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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