Live Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) feed from the National Weather Service and United States Coast Guard. Check Small Craft Advisories, Gale Warnings, and Inundation Alerts before launching on Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic coastal waters.
Coastal Flood Advisory issued September 12 at 10:07PM EDT until September 13 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
Southeast Harford
Effective Sat 10:07 pm · expires Sun 2:00 am · NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
Official alert record →Flood Watch issued September 12 at 12:57PM EDT until September 13 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
Extreme Western Allegany; Western Garrett; Eastern Garrett
Effective Sat 12:57 pm · expires Sun 2:00 am · NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC
Official alert record →Flood Watch issued September 12 at 2:36PM EDT until September 13 at 12:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
New Castle; Morris; Hunterdon; Somerset; Middlesex; Western Monmouth; Eastern Monmouth; Mercer; Salem; Gloucester; Camden; Northwestern Burlington; Ocean; Coastal Ocean; Southeastern Burlington; Delaware; Philadelphia; Western Montgomery; Eastern Montgomery; Upper Bucks; Lower Bucks
Effective Sat 2:36 pm · expires Sun 5:00 am · NWS Mount Holly NJ
Official alert record →Flash Flood Warning issued September 12 at 10:42PM EDT until September 13 at 1:45AM EDT by NWS Blacksburg VA
Roanoke, VA
Effective Sat 10:42 pm · expires Sun 1:45 am · NWS Blacksburg VA
Official alert record →Flood Advisory issued September 12 at 10:31PM EDT until September 13 at 12:30AM EDT by NWS Blacksburg VA
Bedford, VA; Franklin, VA; Roanoke, VA; City of Roanoke, VA
Effective Sat 10:31 pm · expires Sun 12:30 am · NWS Blacksburg VA
Official alert record →Montgomery
Effective Sun 12:03 am · expires Sun 12:13 am · NWS
Official alert record →Source: api.weather.gov · areas MD, DE, VA · checked Sun 12:03 am
USCG-approved life jacket for every passenger aboard. Children under 13 must wear PFD at all times while underway.
International distress, safety, and calling frequency. Monitor Ch 16 at all times while operating in open Bay or ocean waters.
Required marine fire extinguisher for all motorized vessels with enclosed fuel tanks or engine compartments.
USCG-approved pyrotechnic flares or electric distress light for night operations on coastal waters.
A safety page should never show a number nothing measured. Our own monitored gauges render live on the telemetry page with their freshness stated; for buoy observations, go straight to the official networks.
| Channel | Usage & Priority | Coverage / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CH 16 | International Distress, Safety & Calling — MANDATORY MONITOR | All vessels underway must monitor Ch 16. First contact then switch to working channel. |
| CH 22A | USCG Working Channel | Call USCG on Ch 16, then switch to Ch 22A for working communications. Sector Baltimore primary. |
| CH 9 | Recreational Boater Calling Channel | Alternate non-commercial calling channel. Widely used by recreational anglers for contact. |
| CH 13 | Bridge-to-Bridge Navigation Safety | Commercial vessel navigation. Required at drawbridges and regulated commercial waterways. |
| CH 68, 69, 72 | Recreational Non-Commercial Working | Popular recreational angler working channels for boat-to-boat communication on the Bay. |
| CH 71, 78A | Recreational Non-Commercial Working | Additional recreational working channels. 78A frequently used on Upper Chesapeake. |
| WX1–WX7 | NOAA Weather Radio — Continuous Broadcast | WX1 = 162.550 MHz | WX2 = 162.400 MHz (KHB-34 Baltimore) | WX3 = 162.475 MHz. Listen before launching! |
Directory numbers change — verify any listing before you rely on it. In an emergency, VHF Ch 16 always raises the Coast Guard; in immediate danger call 911.
Jurisdiction: Upper Chesapeake, C&D Canal, Maryland Coastal
Baltimore Harbor, Middle Bay, Back River, Patapsco Ops
All Maryland state waters, boating law enforcement, wildlife emergency
National towing network. 24/7 dispatch. Free with BoatUS membership.
Upper Bay, C&D Canal, Elk River, Northeast River, Susquehanna
Baltimore transmitter covering Upper Bay, C&D Canal, Cecil County
Water rescue helicopter support. Trooper Barrack F, Frederick MD. SAR operations.
Delaware Bay, Delaware River, Inland Bays, Indian River Inlet
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