A tropical storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico is forecast to deliver heavy rains and a potentially life‑threatening storm surge to the southeastern United States, the National Hurricane Center said.
On Monday, Tropical Storm Bertha sat roughly 105 miles (165 km) south of Panama City, Florida, with sustained winds near 40 mph (65 km/h).
“Bertha is expected to track close to or along the northern Gulf Coast over the next several days,” the Miami‑based NHC noted.
The system may produce flooding and storm surges across Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi as it drifts westward toward Texas, with some locales possibly seeing up to 8 inches (20 cm) of rain by Friday and isolated tornadoes possible in Florida, forecasters warned.
In an evening update on Monday, forecasters indicated that Bertha could strengthen over the next few days before possibly coming ashore near New Orleans, Louisiana, by Wednesday.
The bulletin noted that tropical‑storm‑force winds reach about 70 miles (110 km) from the storm’s center and that it is moving northwest at roughly 3 mph (5 km/h).
“A tropical storm watch is active from the Ochlockonee River in Florida westward to the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line in Louisiana,” forecasters said.
Officials anticipate storm surges of 1 to 4 feet along sections of the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, with flash flooding possible in urban areas.
The storm’s approach coincides with a sweltering summer heat wave across the U.S. South.
In New Orleans, officials are handing out sandbags to help keep floodwaters at bay and urging residents to keep local storm drains clear.
Bertha is expected to weaken to a tropical depression by Thursday and could dissipate by week’s end as it moves toward the Texas coast.
This marks only the second named storm of the season, following Tropical Storm Arthur, which caused flooding in parts of the United States last month.
