Earlier today the Coast Guard warned boaters of the potential for severe weather... from about ten thousand feet in the air.

WITN was invited aboard a "C-130" aircraft for a closer look at the high surf produced by the tropical storm.

The coast guard out of Elizabeth City allowed us this up close look at how they alert boaters of the conditions.

They can transmit an urgent marine information broadcast to mariners, but with the quick change in Cristobal, they did not want to take any chances.

After staying near the coast on the way down.. the C-130 was about 30 miles out to sea on the way back up.

The flight lasted a little over three hours.