Tropical Storm Bertha nears 2nd landfall targeting Texas, NHC says

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Jul 23, 2026

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Tropical Storm Bertha continued to skirt Louisiana’s Gulf Coast on Thursday expected to keep its strength until making what would be its second landfall moving into Texas later in the day, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The system made its first landfall Wednesday at 3 p.m. EDT 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.

By 11 a.m. Thursday, the center of Bertha was located about 35 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and 110 miles east-northeast of Galveston, Texas moving west at 10 mph, still with 45 mph sustained winds and higher gusts.

“This motion with some increase in forward speed is expected during the next day or so,” said NHC senior hurricane specialist John Cangialosi. “On the forecast track, the center of Bertha will move near or along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts during the next several hours, and then move inland over Texas this evening.”

Tropical-storm-force winds still extend outward up to 160 miles from Bertha’s center.

Much of the rain, though, is situated to the south in the Gulf.

The storm had diminished since Tuesday, when it had sustained winds of up to 60 mph.

“Little change in strength is expected today, and Bertha is forecast to maintain tropical storm intensity until it reaches the upper Texas coast later today,” Cangialosi said. “The system is expected to dissipate inland over Texas late tonight or Friday.”

The storm grew out of what had been the second tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season, forming Monday.

For now, tropical-storm conditions continue to spread across portions of the northern Gulf.

Storm surge is forecast to be from 1-3 feet above normal from Port Bolivar, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River.

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.

Swells along the coast could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Short-lived Tropical Storm Arthur was the season’s first named storm that developed in the Gulf and brought floods to Texas and Louisiana in June.

Cristobal is the next name on the hurricane season list followed by Dolly.

The season officially began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. The height of hurricane season runs from mid-August into October.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects this season to be below normal with the official forecast released in late May calling for eight to 14 named storms, of which three to six would become hurricanes. Of those, one to three would become major hurricanes reaching Category 3 status or above.

An average season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

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