NOAA NWS / Event history

Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 10:18PM EDT until October 16 at 11:45PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Special Marine Warning · Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA; Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point to New Point Comfort VA; Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek VA; Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek VA to Cape Henry VA including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel; Rappahannock River from Urbanna to Windmill Point. Severe; likely; urgency: immediate.

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Bulletin issued: 17 October 2026 at 02:18 UTC
First saved by us: 17 October 2026 at 02:32 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 Wakefield VA · Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA; Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point to New Point Comfort VA; Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek VA; Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek VA to Cape Henry VA including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel; Rappahannock River from Urbanna to Windmill Point
Certainty / urgency: Likely / Immediate
Message expiry (not hazard end): 17 October 2026 at 03:45 UTC
Forecast onset / end: 17 October 2026 at 02:18 UTC / 17 October 2026 at 03:45 UTC

Archived official description

SMWAKQ The National Weather Service in Wakefield has issued a * Special Marine Warning for... Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek VA to Cape Henry VA including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel... Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek VA... Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA... Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point to New Point Comfort VA... Rappahannock River from Urbanna to Windmill Point... * Until 1145 PM EDT. * At 1018 PM EDT, a front was located along a line extending from near Nandua Pungoteague Reef to near Windmill Point to 7 nm west of Urbanna Inlet, moving southeast at 20 knots. HAZARD...Wind gusts 34 knots or greater. SOURCE...Marine observations. IMPACT...Small craft could be damaged in briefly higher winds and suddenly higher waves. * Locations impacted include... New Point Comfort, Nassawadox Reef, Wolf Trap, Thimble Shoals, Urbanna Inlet, Tue Marshes Light, Stingray Point, Onancock Inlet, Occohannock Reef, The Hump, The Cell, Cape Charles Light, Cabbage Patch, Longs Creek Inlet, Cape Charles Harbor, Windmill Point, Rappahannock Range Light, Rappahannock Light, Latimer Shoal, and Plantation Light.

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 · 17 October 2026 at 02:32 UTC

Saved by us

17 October 2026 at 02:32 UTC

Starting point

First saved record

Our first saved version of Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 10:18PM EDT until October 16 at 11:45PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA. We have no earlier saved version to compare.

Bulletin issued: 17 October 2026 at 02:18 UTC

View saved version 1

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

{
  "id": "nws:bfeb005f3b06ac94112491d0",
  "authorityId": "urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.32b79a9d5ad12a002da0814c7d9ecb6c8da6eaad.001.1",
  "sender": "w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov",
  "references": [],
  "category": "weather",
  "title": "Special Marine Warning issued October 16 at 10:18PM EDT until October 16 at 11:45PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA",
  "eventType": "Special Marine Warning",
  "occurredAt": "2026-10-17T02:18:00.000Z",
  "issuedAt": "2026-10-17T02:18:00.000Z",
  "timeBasis": "Bulletin issued",
  "effectiveAt": "2026-10-17T02:18:00.000Z",
  "onsetAt": "2026-10-17T02:18:00.000Z",
  "expiresAt": "2026-10-17T03:45:00.000Z",
  "forecastEndAt": "2026-10-17T03:45:00.000Z",
  "severity": "Severe",
  "urgency": "Immediate",
  "certainty": "Likely",
  "messageType": "Alert",
  "status": "Source alert",
  "place": "Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA; Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point to New Point Comfort VA; Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek VA; Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek VA to Cape Henry VA including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel; Rappahannock River from Urbanna to Windmill Point",
  "coordinates": null,
  "issuer": "NWS Wakefield VA",
  "summary": "Special Marine Warning · Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA; Chesapeake Bay from Windmill Point to New Point Comfort VA; Chesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek VA; Chesapeake Bay from Little Creek VA to Cape Henry VA including the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel; Rappahannock River from Urbanna to Windmill Point. Severe; likely; urgency: immediate.",
  "description": "SMWAKQ\n\nThe National Weather Service in Wakefield has issued a\n\n* Special Marine Warning for...\nChesapeake Bay from Little Creek VA to Cape Henry VA including the\nChesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel...\nChesapeake Bay from New Point Comfort to Little Creek VA...\nChesapeake Bay from Smith Point to Windmill Point VA...\nChesapeake Bay from Windmill Point to New Point Comfort VA...\nRappahannock River from Urbanna to Windmill Point...\n\n* Until 1145 PM EDT.\n\n* At 1018 PM EDT, a front was located along a line extending from\nnear Nandua Pungoteague Reef to near Windmill Point to 7 nm west of\nUrbanna Inlet, moving southeast at 20 knots.\n\nHAZARD...Wind gusts 34 knots or greater.\n\nSOURCE...Marine observations.\n\nIMPACT...Small craft could be damaged in briefly higher winds and\nsuddenly higher waves.\n\n* Locations impacted include...\nNew Point Comfort, Nassawadox Reef, Wolf Trap, Thimble Shoals,\nUrbanna Inlet, Tue Marshes Light, Stingray Point, Onancock Inlet,\nOccohannock Reef, The Hump, The Cell, Cape Charles Light, Cabbage\nPatch, Longs Creek Inlet, Cape Charles Harbor, Windmill Point,\nRappahannock Range Light, Rappahannock Light, Latimer Shoal, and\nPlantation Light.",
  "instruction": "Move to safe harbor until hazardous weather passes.",
  "url": "https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.32b79a9d5ad12a002da0814c7d9ecb6c8da6eaad.001.1",
  "source": "nws",
  "sourceName": "NOAA NWS"
}

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