Special Marine Warning Issued for Breton Sound and Louisiana Coastal Waters

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in New Orleans has issued a Special Marine Warning for several coastal regions. The alert was triggered by a cluster of severe thunderstorms located along a line extending from 13 nm southwest of Chandeleur Sound to near Port Sulphur, moving southeast at 25 knots.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following geographic regions:

• Breton Sound
• Coastal Waters from Boothville, LA to Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River out 20 nm
• Coastal waters from Pascagoula, Mississippi to Stake Island, Louisiana out 20 to 60 NM

Specific locations impacted include Pilottown, Boothville, Breton Sound, and Empire.

What You Should Do

Boaters and individuals near the water should take immediate precautions:

• Ensure all persons on board are wearing life jackets.
• Seek shelter or move to a safe harbor immediately until the hazardous weather passes.
• If caught on open water, stay below deck if possible and keep away from ungrounded metal objects due to frequent lightning.

Expected Conditions

According to radar data, the following hazards are present:

• Waterspouts: These can quickly form and capsize boats, damage vessels and oil rigs, and create suddenly higher waves.
• Wind: Gusts up to 40 knots are expected.
• Waves: Small craft could be damaged by briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves.
• Lightning: Frequent lightning is occurring with these storms.

Timeline

The Special Marine Warning is effective until 1:00 AM CDT on March 12, 2026. Additionally, a Tornado Watch remains in effect for southeastern Louisiana and adjacent coastal waters until 2:00 AM CDT.