Tropical Storm Bertha strengthens in Gulf, warning issued for Florida to Louisiana coast

Tropical Storm Bertha intensified in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, attaining maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph) while situated about 105 miles southwest of Panama City, Florida, and the same distance southeast of Mobile, Alabama. The National Hurricane Center placed a tropical storm warning from the Florida-Alabama border to the Jefferson and Plaquemines parish line in Louisiana through Wednesday, noting that rain and flooding could persist into Thursday morning.

Meteorologists forecast the system to weaken gradually as it moves northwest, with landfall projected for Wednesday night in a sparsely populated coastal area of Louisiana southeast of New Orleans. Wind is expected to be the primary hazard, according to Michael Buchanan, a meteorologist with the Louisiana National Weather Service.

Authorities in Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida opened sand-bag distribution sites, while red-flag warnings were posted on several beaches to alert swimmers to rip-tide conditions. Double red flags indicated that Gulf waters were closed for swimming. Beaches near Pensacola were largely empty, though some tourists visited to view the surf.

The storm is expected to bring 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of rain from western Florida to southern Louisiana, with higher amounts possible in isolated locations, raising the risk of flash flooding in urban areas. Storm surge of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) could affect Louisiana’s coastline from the Mississippi River mouth to the Alabama-Mississippi border, with smaller surges anticipated for parts of Florida and Alabama.

Bertha is the second named storm of the Atlantic season, following Tropical Storm Arthur in May. NOAA projects a below-average hurricane season for 2026, though the possibility of a significant storm remains.

In the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Fausto, located about 780 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, maintained hurricane strength with 75 mph (120 kph) winds and was moving west-northwest. No coastal watches or warnings were issued for Mexico, though the storm’s swells could generate hazardous surf and rip-tide conditions along the Baja California coast.