Onslow Bay, an embayment south of Cape Hatteras in the South Atlantic Bight, responds to discrete southwestward and northeastward wind stress events. Occasionally, dramatic onshore-offshore flow cycles occur that appear triggered by a large-scale disturbance probably originating in the Gulf Stream. Winds and offshore disturbances drive a well-defined circulation pattern from which it is estimated that Onslow Bay flushed every 2 months. This agrees quite well with a freshwater removal rate of about 2.7 months and a Gulf Stream entrainment removal rate of 3 months.