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Josiah Carpenter, 8, frolics in the floodwaters on Lakeshore Drive along Lake Pontchartrain as Tropical Storm Bertha approaches the Louisiana Coast Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in New Orleans.<\/p>\n
Gerald Herbert\/AP Photo\/Gerald Herbert<\/p>\n
Children play near breaking waves on West End Pier on Lake Pontchartrain as Tropical Storm Bertha approaches the Louisiana Coast Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in New Orleans.<\/p>\n
Gerald Herbert\/AP Photo\/Gerald Herbert<\/p>\n
With skies darkening ahead of Tropical Storm Bertha, Latia Ancar practices her casting while she and a friend wait for the storm-driven tidal surge about 50 miles south of New Orleans on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, hoping it will bring more fish. (Chris Granger\/The Times-Picayune\/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)<\/p>\n
Chris Granger\/Chris Granger\/The Times-Picayune<\/p>\n
Grettel Badillo catches the wind from Tropical Storm Bertha at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial in Shell Beach, La., Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (David Grunfeld\/The Times-Picayune\/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)<\/p>\n
David Grunfeld\/David Grunfeld\/The Times-Picayun<\/p>\n
This NOAA satellite image taken at 11:40 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, shows Tropical Storm Bertha in the Gulf of Mexico moving toward the edge of Louisiana. (NOAA via AP)<\/p>\n
NOAA via AP<\/p>\n
Michael Ray, 3, holds the hands of his grandmother, Shirella Ray, as they and other family members watch waves from Lake Pontchartrain crash along Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans as Tropical Storm Bertha approaches the Louisiana coast on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Brett Duke\/The Advocate via AP)<\/p>\n
Brett Duke\/Brett Duke\/The Advocate via AP<\/p>\n
Tropical Storm Bertha made a second landfall Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana state line after grazing southern Louisiana in a slow crawl that triggered heavy surf and some flooding along the Gulf Coast. Forecasters said more flooding was possible as heavy rains moved onshore into southeast Texas.<\/p>\n
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Bertha moved inland about 75 miles (115 kilometers) northeast of Galveston, Texas, on Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. Still packing sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph) when it reached land, the storm was expected to weaken rapidly.<\/p>\n
No deaths or significant damage have been reported since Bertha formed Monday in the Gulf of Mexico south of the Florida Panhandle. The storm caused some coastal flooding as its center first struck land Wednesday in Louisiana southwest of New Orleans, but its heaviest rains stayed over the Gulf waters.<\/p>\n
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That rainfall south of the storm’s center began moving inland along Texas’ southeastern coast Thursday afternoon. A tropical storm warning remained in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Sargent, Texas.<\/p>\n
The hurricane center said Bertha could still cause up to 2 feet (0.6 meters) of storm surge along the coast and trigger isolated flash flooding from heavy rains in coastal and south Texas.<\/p>\n
Tropical storm force winds on Thursday extended as far as 160 miles (260 kilometers) from the storm\u2019s center, the hurricane center said. Still, forecasters expected the storm to weaken rapidly as it moved over inland Texas and dissipate by Friday.<\/p>\n
Galveston businesses stay open as officials predict a ‘windy day\u2019<\/p>\n
In Galveston, an island city of 53,000 people southeast of Houston, local officials urged residents to brace for a \u201cwindy day\u201d and secure any outdoor objects that might become airborne projectiles.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhile no significant impacts are forecast, some gusty storms may blow through the island throughout the day,\u201d Galveston\u2019s Office of Emergency Management said in a Facebook post Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Galveston Historic Seaport canceled its sightseeing boat tours Thursday afternoon as a precaution, but was otherwise operating normally, said employee Jesi Hahn.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll definitely be open,\u201d Hahn said. \u201cWe usually close for big hurricanes.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the nearby Harbor House Hotel and Marina, employee Justin Timber said he wasn\u2019t aware of any canceled reservations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems like a normal day,\u201d he said. \u201cRestaurants are clicking. Everything\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In Florida, storm damages a boardwalk and topples a Waffle House sign<\/p>\n