NOAA NWS / Event history

Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 7:32PM EDT until October 16 at 9:30PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Special Marine Warning · Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD; Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA; Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD; Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA; Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River; Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD; Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island. Severe; likely; urgency: immediate.

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Bulletin issued: 16 October 2026 at 23:32 UTC
First saved by us: 16 October 2026 at 23:47 UTC
Last included in a daily record: 17 October 2026
The linked daily edition preserves what we captured that UTC day; this event page is not a live warning.
Source classification: Severe · Source alert

A recent feed check does not mean a new observation. This page preserves source records; it does not establish current safety or warning status.

Issuer / area: NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC · Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD; Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA; Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD; Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA; Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River; Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD; Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island
Certainty / urgency: Likely / Immediate
Message expiry (not hazard end): 17 October 2026 at 01:30 UTC
Forecast onset / end: 16 October 2026 at 23:32 UTC / 17 October 2026 at 01:30 UTC

Archived official description

SMWLWX The National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a * Special Marine Warning for... Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA... Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD... Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River... Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD... Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island... Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA... Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD... * Until 930 PM EDT. * At 732 PM EDT, a gust front was located along a line extending from 7 nm northeast of Port Tobacco River to near Aquia Creek to 23 nm west of Brent Point, moving southeast at 25 knots. This will come with a wind shift to the northwest. HAZARD...Wind gusts 34 knots or greater. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Boaters in small craft could be thrown overboard by suddenly higher winds and waves capsizing their vessel. * Locations impacted include... Yeocomico River, Breton Bay, Hooper Island Light, Crisfield, Southwest Middle Grounds, Cuckold Creek, Ewell, Coltons Point, Coles Point, Saint George Island, Point No Point, Calvert Cliffs, The Targets, Richland Point Buoy, Greenwell State Park, Saint Leonard Creek, Saint Clements Bay, Smith Island, Piney Point, and Deep Hole.

Instructions in this archived message

Move to safe harbor until hazardous weather passes.

The saved record

What changed

0 updates · 1 first record

Each update compares two versions we saved. This may not include every update from the source. A missing report does not mean an event has ended.

First saved record · 16 October 2026 at 23:47 UTC

Saved by us

16 October 2026 at 23:47 UTC

Starting point

First saved record

Our first saved version of Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 7:32PM EDT until October 16 at 9:30PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC. We have no earlier saved version to compare.

Bulletin issued: 16 October 2026 at 23:32 UTC

View saved version 1

Original saved fields, unchanged. This is our record, not an archived copy of the external webpage.

{
  "id": "nws:f382b7ae4aed6d4a59b3a19f",
  "authorityId": "urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.463bea3121302ac54f67d4364201fbd4a2d59664.001.1",
  "sender": "w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov",
  "references": [],
  "category": "weather",
  "title": "Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 7:32PM EDT until October 16 at 9:30PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC",
  "eventType": "Special Marine Warning",
  "occurredAt": "2026-10-16T23:32:00.000Z",
  "issuedAt": "2026-10-16T23:32:00.000Z",
  "timeBasis": "Bulletin issued",
  "effectiveAt": "2026-10-16T23:32:00.000Z",
  "onsetAt": "2026-10-16T23:32:00.000Z",
  "expiresAt": "2026-10-17T01:30:00.000Z",
  "forecastEndAt": "2026-10-17T01:30:00.000Z",
  "severity": "Severe",
  "urgency": "Immediate",
  "certainty": "Likely",
  "messageType": "Alert",
  "status": "Source alert",
  "place": "Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD; Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA; Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD; Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA; Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River; Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD; Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island",
  "coordinates": null,
  "issuer": "NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC",
  "summary": "Special Marine Warning · Chesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD; Chesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA; Tidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD; Tidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA; Choptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River; Patuxent River to Broomes Island MD; Tangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth Island. Severe; likely; urgency: immediate.",
  "description": "SMWLWX\n\nThe National Weather Service in Sterling Virginia has issued a\n\n* Special Marine Warning for...\nChesapeake Bay from Drum Point MD to Smith Point VA...\nChesapeake Bay from North Beach to Drum Point MD...\nChoptank River to Cambridge MD and the Little Choptank River...\nPatuxent River to Broomes Island MD...\nTangier Sound and the inland waters surrounding Bloodsworth\nIsland...\nTidal Potomac from Cobb Island MD to Smith Point VA...\nTidal Potomac from Indian Head to Cobb Island MD...\n\n* Until 930 PM EDT.\n\n* At 732 PM EDT, a gust front was located along a line extending\nfrom 7 nm northeast of Port Tobacco River to near Aquia Creek to\n23 nm west of Brent Point, moving southeast at 25 knots. This will\ncome with a wind shift to the northwest.\n\nHAZARD...Wind gusts 34 knots or greater.\n\nSOURCE...Radar indicated.\n\nIMPACT...Boaters in small craft could be thrown overboard by\nsuddenly higher winds and waves capsizing their vessel.\n\n* Locations impacted include...\nYeocomico River, Breton Bay, Hooper Island Light, Crisfield,\nSouthwest Middle Grounds, Cuckold Creek, Ewell, Coltons Point,\nColes Point, Saint George Island, Point No Point, Calvert Cliffs,\nThe Targets, Richland Point Buoy, Greenwell State Park, Saint\nLeonard Creek, Saint Clements Bay, Smith Island, Piney Point, and\nDeep Hole.",
  "instruction": "Move to safe harbor until hazardous weather passes.",
  "url": "https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.463bea3121302ac54f67d4364201fbd4a2d59664.001.1",
  "source": "nws",
  "sourceName": "NOAA NWS"
}

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