Special Marine Warning Issued for Coastal Waters off Virginia and Delaware

Source: NOAA · Coastal waters off Virginia and Delaware

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NWS Wakefield VA has issued a Special Marine Warning for multiple coastal water zones from Fenwick Island DE to Cape Charles Light VA due to a strong thunderstorm with wind gusts of 34 knots or greater.

Read this weather record in 30 seconds

Record type
Special Marine Warning
Affected area
Coastal waters off Virginia and Delaware
Issued
September 4, 2026
Issuing authority
NWS Wakefield VA

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

A Special Marine Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Wakefield VA. The alert is effective from September 4, 2026 at 3:06 AM EDT until September 4, 2026 at 4:30 AM EDT.

Affected Areas

Coastal waters from Fenwick Island DE to Chincoteague VA out 20 NM; Coastal waters from Chincoteague to Parramore Island VA out 20 NM; Coastal waters from Parramore Island to Cape Charles Light VA out 20 NM; Waters from Fenwick Island DE to Chincoteague VA from 20 to 60 NM; Waters from Chincoteague VA to Parramore Island VA from 20 to 60 NM; Waters from Parramore Island VA to Cape Charles Light VA from 20 to 60 NM. Locations impacted include Wachapreague Inlet, Chincoteague Bay, Wachapreague Reef, Assateague Beach, Blackfish Reef, Ship Shoal Inlet, Quinby Inlet, Great Machipongo Inlet, Sand Shoal Inlet, Cape Charles Light, Chincoteague, Bone Wreck, Parramore Island, and 26 Mile Hill.

What You Should Do

Move to safe harbor until hazardous weather passes.

Expected Conditions

At 3:04 AM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Quinby Inlet moving east at 30 knots. Hazard includes wind gusts 34 knots or greater. Small craft could be damaged in briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves.

Timeline

The warning is in effect from September 4, 2026 at 3:06 AM EDT until September 4, 2026 at 4:30 AM EDT.

Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗

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Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this NWS weather alert: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this NWS weather alert.

What is this NWS weather alert about?
NWS Wakefield VA has issued a Special Marine Warning for multiple coastal water zones from Fenwick Island DE to Cape Charles Light VA due to a strong thunderstorm with wind gusts of 34 knots or greater.
Which agency issued this alert?
This alert was issued by NOAA. The original notice is available at the source link at the bottom of this article.
How severe is this alert?
This alert is classified as "high" severity. Take precautions and monitor for updates.
What area is affected?
This alert affects Coastal waters off Virginia and Delaware. Check with NOAA for the most current geographic scope.
Where can I find more Weather Alerts updates?
Browse the full Weather Alerts feed on Areazine at areazine.com/weather/ for the latest updates from NOAA and other agencies.