Key takeaways:
- Bertha had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph Monday and was located south of the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Weather Service.
- Forecasters warned some areas could receive up to 8 inches of rain, with flash flooding possible from western Florida to the Texas coast.
- Storm surge could raise water levels by up to 4 feet in some Gulf Coast locations, with a Storm Surge Watch in effect from the Alabama-Florida border to the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Tropical Storm Bertha formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, putting much of the northern Gulf Coast on alert for heavy rain, flooding and dangerous storm surge as the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season drifted near Florida.
The storm was south of the Florida Panhandle on Monday night with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service. The BBC, citing the National Hurricane Center, reported Bertha was about 105 miles south of Panama City, Florida, earlier Monday, with tropical storm-force winds extending 70 miles from its center and the system moving northwest at about 3 mph.
Forecasters said Bertha was expected to track near or along the northern Gulf Coast over the next several days, moving west from the Florida Panhandle toward Louisiana and eventually eastern Texas later in the week.
“A slow northwestward motion is expected through tonight, followed by a turn toward the west-northwest or west,” the weather service said Monday. “On the forecast track, the depression will move near or along the northern Gulf coast during the next several days.”
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center issued a similar warning. “Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf coast during the next several days,” it said, according to the BBC.
A Tropical Storm Warning was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border to the Jefferson-Plaquemines Parish border in Louisiana, according to CBS News. Tropical Storm Watches covered several nearby areas, including the stretch from the Bay-Gulf County line in Florida west to the Florida-Alabama border, areas west of the Jefferson-Plaquemines Parish border to Morgan City, Louisiana, and the New Orleans metro area, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. The BBC reported that forecasters said a tropical storm watch was in effect from the Ochlockonee River in Florida westward to the Jefferson-Plaquemines Parish border in Louisiana.
A Storm Surge Watch was in effect from the Alabama-Florida border to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Forecasters warned that storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 4 feet in some Gulf Coast locations. The BBC reported that surges of 1 to 4 feet were expected along parts of the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts.
Rainfall was expected along the Gulf Coast and nearby inland areas from western Florida to the Texas coast through the week. Parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were also expected to be affected. Some areas could receive up to 8 inches of rain, raising the risk of flash flooding, including in urban areas.
Forecasters also said isolated tornadoes could develop in Florida, according to the BBC.
In New Orleans, sandbags were being distributed to help hold back floodwaters, and residents were asked to make sure local storm drains were clear. The BBC reported that an updated Monday evening bulletin said Bertha could strengthen over the next several days before potentially making landfall in New Orleans by Wednesday.
Bertha is forecast to weaken back to a tropical depression on Thursday and may dissipate by the end of the week as it nears the Texas coast, according to the BBC.
The storm follows Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the season. Arthur made landfall in June along the Gulf Coast of Texas, CBS News reported, while the BBC reported it brought some flooding to the United States last month.
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