GALVESTON, Texas (AP) – Tropical Storm Bertha made a second landfall near the Texas-Louisiana state line Thursday, ending its slow crawl across the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The National Hurricane Center said Bertha should weaken rapidly over land after its center came onshore Thursday afternoon about 75 miles northeast of Galveston, Texas.
In Galveston, local officials urged residents to brace for a “windy day” and secure any outdoor objects that might become airborne projectiles.
“While no significant impacts are forecast, some gusty storms may blow through the island throughout the day,” Galveston’s Office of Emergency Management said in a Facebook post Thursday.
Forecasters said some storm surge along the immediate coast and isolated flash flooding were possible, though the storm was expected to weaken rapidly over land.
No deaths or significant damage have been reported since Bertha formed Monday in the Gulf of Mexico south of Florida.
The storm made landfall for the first time Wednesday as it grazed the Louisiana coast southwest of New Orleans.
Bertha is the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arthur in June brought heavy rainfall to the southeastern U.S.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.