NOAA NWS / Event history

Special Marine Warning issued October 18 at 4:18PM EDT until October 18 at 4:45PM EDT by NWS Key West FL

Special Marine Warning · Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound; Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge; Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef; Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out to the reef; Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM; Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM. Severe; likely; urgency: immediate.

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Bulletin issued: 18 October 2026 at 20:18 UTC
First saved by us: 18 October 2026 at 20:32 UTC
Last included in a daily record: 18 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 Key West FL · Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound; Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge; Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef; Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out to the reef; Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM; Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM
Certainty / urgency: Likely / Immediate
Message expiry (not hazard end): 18 October 2026 at 20:45 UTC
Forecast onset / end: 18 October 2026 at 20:18 UTC / 18 October 2026 at 20:45 UTC

Archived official description

SMWKEY The National Weather Service in Key West has issued a * Special Marine Warning for... Hawk Channel and Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 nm... Bayside and Gulf side from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge... Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound... * Until 445 PM EDT. * At 418 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Eagle Wreck, moving west at 15 knots. HAZARD...Wind gusts 34 knots or greater. SOURCE...National Weather Service Meteorologist. IMPACT...Expect wind gusts in excess of 34 knots, suddenly higher waves, frequent lightning, and heavy downpours. * Locations in the warning include... Eagle Wreck, Craig Key, Boy Scouts Florida Sea Base, Alligator Reef Light, and Tennessee Reef Light.

Instructions in this archived message

Intense and continuous lightning is occurring with this storm. Stay low, or go below. Lower VHF antenna, outriggers, fishing rods, and umbrellas.

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 · 18 October 2026 at 20:32 UTC

Saved by us

18 October 2026 at 20:32 UTC

Starting point

First saved record

Our first saved version of Special Marine Warning issued October 18 at 4:18PM EDT until October 18 at 4:45PM EDT by NWS Key West FL. We have no earlier saved version to compare.

Bulletin issued: 18 October 2026 at 20:18 UTC

View saved version 1

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

{
  "id": "nws:cb6ad60abbb3612e3aeabf3a",
  "authorityId": "urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.885224a6582b8c3b69641e64831a13e0a97486b6.001.1",
  "sender": "w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov",
  "references": [],
  "category": "weather",
  "title": "Special Marine Warning issued October 18 at 4:18PM EDT until October 18 at 4:45PM EDT by NWS Key West FL",
  "eventType": "Special Marine Warning",
  "occurredAt": "2026-10-18T20:18:00.000Z",
  "issuedAt": "2026-10-18T20:18:00.000Z",
  "timeBasis": "Bulletin issued",
  "effectiveAt": "2026-10-18T20:18:00.000Z",
  "onsetAt": "2026-10-18T20:18:00.000Z",
  "expiresAt": "2026-10-18T20:45:00.000Z",
  "forecastEndAt": "2026-10-18T20:45:00.000Z",
  "severity": "Severe",
  "urgency": "Immediate",
  "certainty": "Likely",
  "messageType": "Alert",
  "status": "Source alert",
  "place": "Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound; Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge; Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef; Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out to the reef; Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM; Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM",
  "coordinates": null,
  "issuer": "NWS Key West FL",
  "summary": "Special Marine Warning · Florida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and Buttonwood Sound; Bayside and Gulfside from Craig Key to West End of Seven Mile Bridge; Hawk Channel from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out to the reef; Hawk Channel from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out to the reef; Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to Craig Key out 20 NM; Straits of Florida from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile Bridge out 20 NM. Severe; likely; urgency: immediate.",
  "description": "SMWKEY\n\nThe National Weather Service in Key West has issued a\n\n* Special Marine Warning for...\nHawk Channel and Straits of Florida from Ocean Reef to west end of\nSeven Mile Bridge out 20 nm...\nBayside and Gulf side from Craig Key to west end of Seven Mile\nBridge...\nFlorida Bay including Barnes Sound, Blackwater Sound, and\nButtonwood Sound...\n\n* Until 445 PM EDT.\n\n* At 418 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Eagle Wreck,\nmoving west at 15 knots.\n\nHAZARD...Wind gusts 34 knots or greater.\n\nSOURCE...National Weather Service Meteorologist.\n\nIMPACT...Expect wind gusts in excess of 34 knots, suddenly higher\nwaves, frequent lightning, and heavy downpours.\n\n* Locations in the warning include...\nEagle Wreck, Craig Key, Boy Scouts Florida Sea Base, Alligator Reef\nLight, and Tennessee Reef Light.",
  "instruction": "Intense and continuous lightning is occurring with this storm. Stay\nlow, or go below. Lower VHF antenna, outriggers, fishing rods, and\numbrellas.",
  "url": "https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.885224a6582b8c3b69641e64831a13e0a97486b6.001.1",
  "source": "nws",
  "sourceName": "NOAA NWS"
}

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