Special Marine Warning Issued for Albemarle Sound and North Carolina Coastal Waters

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Newport/Morehead City NC has issued a Special Marine Warning. The alert was issued at 3:02 PM EDT and is effective until 4:00 PM EDT on March 12, 2026.

Affected Areas

The warning covers several key maritime regions and coastal areas, including:

• Albemarle Sound
• Alligator River
• Croatan and Roanoke Sounds
• South of Currituck Beach Light NC to Oregon Inlet NC (out to 20 nm)
• Waters from Currituck Beach Light to Oregon Inlet NC (20 to 40 nm)

Specific locations impacted include Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Duck, Oregon Inlet, the Alligator River Bridge, and the centers of the Albemarle, Croatan, and Roanoke Sounds.

What You Should Do

Mariners are urged to move to safe harbor immediately. Thunderstorms can produce sudden waterspouts which can easily overturn boats and create locally hazardous seas. Small craft could be damaged in briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves. Seek safe harbor immediately as gusty winds and high waves are expected.

Expected Conditions

Radar has detected severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts. Wind gusts are expected to reach nearly 50 knots. At 3:01 PM EDT, these storms were located along a line extending from 6 nautical miles east of Duck to 8 nautical miles northeast of Crabtree Bay.

Timeline

The alert is effective from 3:02 PM EDT until 4:00 PM EDT on March 12, 2026. The storm system is currently moving northeast at a speed of 50 knots.