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Tropical Storm Bertha’s cone of uncertainty as of 8 a.m. EDT Wednesday, July 23, 2026. (NHC)<\/p>\nTropical Storm Bertha continued to skirt Louisiana\u2019s Gulf Coast on Thursday expected to keep its strength until moving into Texas later in the day, according to the National Hurricane Center.<\/p>\n
The system made landfall Wednesday at 3 p.m. with 45 mph sustained winds in St. Bernard Parish near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area, then passed south of New Orleans before moving back out over the water.<\/p>\n
By 8 a.m. Thursday, the center of Bertha was located about 145 miles west-southwest of New Orleans and 70 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana moving west at 13 mph, still with 45 mph sustained winds and higher gusts.<\/p>\n
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the he Gulf Coast from the Terrebonne\/Lafourche Parish line,
Louisiana, to Sargent, Texas.<\/p>\n
\u201cA generally westward motion is expected through tonight, followed by a turn toward the west-southwest on Friday,\u201d said NHC senior hurricane specialist Brad Reinhart. \u201cOn the forecast track, the center of Bertha will move near or along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts through this afternoon, and then move farther inland over Texas this evening and tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tropical Storm Bertha’s cone of uncertainty as of 8 a.m. EDT Wednesday, July 23, 2026. (NHC)<\/p>\n
Tropical-storm-force winds still extend outward up to 160 miles from Bertha\u2019s center.<\/p>\n
The National Ocean Service station at Eugene Island, Louisiana, recently reported sustained winds of 36 mph with a wind gust of 45 mph.<\/p>\n
Much of the rain, though, is situated to the south in the Gulf.<\/p>\n
Jul 23 4AM CDT: Key messages for #Bertha<\/a> Tropical storm conditions expected to spread westward along the northwestern Gulf coast. For more information visit https:\/\/t.co\/tW4KeGdBFb<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/gKpVvlGEuH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The storm had diminished since Tuesday, when it had sustained winds of up to 60 mph.<\/p>\n \u201cLittle change in strength is expected today, and Bertha is forecast to maintain tropical storm intensity until it reaches the upper Texas coast later today,\u201d Reinhart said. \u201cBertha is expected to dissipate inland over Texas by tonight or Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n The storm grew out of what had been the second tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season, forming Monday.<\/p>\n Tropical Storm Bertha tracking map: Here\u2019s the latest forecast path<\/a><\/p>\n For now, tropical-storm conditions continue to spread across portions of the northern Gulf.<\/p>\n Storm surge is forecast to be from 1-3 feet above normal from Port Bolivar, Texas to the mouth of the Mississippi River.<\/p>\n Rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches with some areas getting up to 6 inches are forecast through Thursday night for the the Texas Gulf Coast and South Texas that could produce isolated flash flooding.<\/p>\n Swells along the coast could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.<\/p>\n Short-lived Tropical Storm Arthur<\/a> was the season\u2019s first named storm that developed in the Gulf and brought floods to Texas and Louisiana in June.<\/p>\n Cristobal is the next name on the hurricane season list<\/a> followed by Dolly.<\/p>\n