Special Marine Warning Issued for Louisiana and Mississippi Coastal Waters Until 4:00 AM CDT
This alert is no longer in effect.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 off Louisiana and Mississippi as severe thunderstorms move through the region with wind gusts exceeding 34 knots.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Louisiana and Mississippi Coastal Waters
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS New Orleans
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 Louisiana and Mississippi Coastal Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in New Orleans LA has issued a Special Marine Warning (NWS alert code: MAW) for several coastal water zones across the Gulf of Mexico. The warning was triggered by radar-indicated severe thunderstorms capable of producing significant hazards for maritime activities.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions:
- Coastal waters from Pascagoula, Mississippi to Stake Island, Louisiana (out to 60 NM)
- Coastal waters from Boothville, LA to Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River (out 20 NM)
- Coastal waters from Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River to Port Fourchon, Louisiana (out to 60 NM)
- Coastal waters from Port Fourchon, Louisiana to Lower Atchafalaya River, LA (from 20 to 60 NM)
- Coastal waters from Stake Island, LA to Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River (from 20 to 60 NM)
What You Should Do
Strong winds are dangerous for boaters and anyone currently on the water. Residents and mariners in the warning area should take the following actions immediately:
- Ensure all persons on board are wearing life jackets.
- Seek shelter or move to a safe harbor immediately.
- Remain in port or shelter until the hazardous weather conditions have passed.
Expected Conditions
At 1:54 AM CDT, radar indicated a line of severe thunderstorms extending from Sand Island Lighthouse to 25 nm east of Pilottown to 30 nm south of the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port.
- Hazards: Wind gusts of 34 knots or greater.
- Movement: The storm line is moving southeast at 25 knots.
- Impact: Small craft could be damaged by briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves. These storms are expected to remain primarily over open waters.
Timeline
The Special Marine Warning is effective immediately as of 1:54 AM CDT, Thursday, March 12. The alert is currently scheduled to expire at 4:00 AM CDT.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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