Special Marine Warning Issued for Coastal North and South Carolina Waters Through Thursday Afternoon
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Special Marine Warning for coastal waters between Surf City, NC, and Little River Inlet, SC, as severe thunderstorms and potential waterspouts move through the area.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Coastal North and South Carolina
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Wilmington
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: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Coastal North and South Carolina.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Wilmington, NC, has issued a Special Marine Warning for coastal waters in North and South Carolina. This alert is based on radar-indicated severe thunderstorms moving through the region.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following maritime zones:
- Coastal waters from Surf City to Cape Fear, NC, out to 20 nautical miles.
- Coastal waters from Cape Fear, NC, to Little River Inlet, SC, out to 20 nautical miles.
- Waters from Surf City to Cape Fear, NC, from 20 to 40 nautical miles.
Specific locations impacted include Johnny Mercer Pier, Masonboro Sea Buoy, Harris Reef, 10 Mile Rocks, Sheepshead Rock, Buoy Off Carolina Beach, Rich Inlet, Wr2, 5 Mile Boxcars, Fort Fisher, 10 Mile Boxcars, Liberty Ship, Dallas Rock, Billy Murrell Reef, Kure Beach Point, School House Reef, Kure Beach, Topsail Boxcars, Topsail Tire Reef, and Dredge Wreck.
What You Should Do
Boaters are advised to seek safe harbor immediately until these storms pass. If caught on open water, prepare for rapidly deteriorating conditions. Ensure that you and all crew members are wearing properly fitted life jackets. Move to a safe harbor immediately to avoid expected gusty winds and high waves.
Expected Conditions
Severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts and wind gusts to nearly 50 knots were detected along a line extending from 12 nautical miles west of the Highway 24-17 Bridge to 7 nautical miles west of Wrightsville Beach. The system is moving east at 50 knots. These conditions can easily overturn boats, damage small craft, and create suddenly higher waves and hazardous seas.
Timeline
The Special Marine Warning is effective immediately as of 1:42 PM EDT and is scheduled to remain in effect until 3:45 PM EDT on March 12.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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