# First nuclear carrier, ex-USS Enterprise, towed into Mobile Bay Friday Published November 13, 2026, 10:16 AM ET By Ryan Hall, Y'all Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data. The former USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ever built, was towed past Dauphin Island, Alabama, into Mobile Bay on Friday morning, Nov. 13. It is bound for Mobile, where it will be dismantled, and the Mobile Ship Channel was closed to commercial traffic for the tow. The Gulf Coast weather was quiet, with no severe storms or flash flooding outlined for today. ## Key points - **Where:** Past Dauphin Island and into Mobile Bay on the Alabama Gulf Coast. It was also seen from Fort Morgan, on the other side of the bay mouth. - **When:** Friday morning, Nov. 13. The camera caught it around 8:50 AM Central. - **What:** The retired carrier under tow, with a tug on the towline. It is not under its own power. - **What it means:** The Mobile Ship Channel was closed to commercial traffic for the tow. The ship is on its way to be dismantled in Mobile. ![The former USS Enterprise under tow past Dauphin Island (photo by Alabama Weather Network)](https://public.yallsoft.app/rhy/blog/images/2026-11-13-news-newsroom-65201062-0-1504.png) The former USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ever built, was towed past Dauphin Island, Alabama, and into Mobile Bay on the morning of Friday, Nov. 13. It is headed to Mobile, where it will be taken apart. The ship left Newport News, Virginia, on Nov. 2 for the trip to Alabama. ## What the video shows Alabama Weather Network's Dauphin Island North camera followed the carrier as it passed, panning with the ship during the clip. A tug is visible on the towline at the left side of the frame. The clip ran from about 9:50:15 to 9:50:37 AM Eastern, or roughly 8:50 AM Central. Image: Alabama Weather Network, which first sent us the tip. The Enterprise was the first carrier of its kind. Now it is making its trip to Mobile under tow rather than steaming on its own. ## The route and what comes next The tow started at Newport News on Nov. 2 and finished its Gulf leg Friday morning. Past Dauphin Island, the ship entered Mobile Bay and lined up for the Mobile Ship Channel. The channel was closed to commercial traffic while the tow went through. From there, the carrier heads up the bay to Mobile, where the dismantling will happen. We don't have a docking time or a start date for the work, so we won't guess at one. If that changes, we'll update this post. ## Weather on the Gulf Coast It was a quiet weather day for a move like this. No severe storms are expected today anywhere in the country, and no flash flood risk is outlined. Our [severe storm outlook](/severe) shows nothing for the Alabama coast. The next system to watch this weekend is farther west. On Sunday, Nov. 15, there is a Level 1 of 5 (Marginal) severe storm risk across Texas. There is also a Level 1 of 4 (Marginal) flash flood risk over parts of Texas and Louisiana. Those are low-end risks, and they are not aimed at Mobile Bay. Our [flash flood outlook](/excessive-rainfall) has the latest on that. ## What to do If you plan to be out on the water, check [our live warnings page](/warnings) for any marine or coastal alerts before heading to the shore. For weather alerts in your own area, you can sign up for free [Y'all Alerts](/alerts). ## Bottom line The first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ever built passed Dauphin Island under tow Friday morning and is headed to Mobile to be dismantled. The weather around it was quiet. More on: [Southeast severe weather, November 2026](https://ryanhallyall.com/news/topic/southeast-severe-weather-november-2026) Places in this story: Dauphin Island, AL --- Canonical: https://ryanhallyall.com/news/first-nuclear-carrier-ex-uss-enterprise-towed-into-mobile-bay-friday From Ryan Hall, Y'all (https://ryanhallyall.com). Always follow official warnings from the National Weather Service.