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Tropical Storm Bertha was bringing rain to large swaths of the northern Gulf Coast early Wednesday as its projected path sparked watches and warnings.
Bertha was moving westward at 5 mph and that general motion was expected to continue through Friday "with little acceleration," the National Hurricane Center said.
"On the forecast track," the Miami-based center said, "Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next couple of days" and "gradual weakening is forecast to continue."
Bertha was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, down 10 mph from Tuesday night.
Map shows projected path
Bertha, the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was forecast to stick close to the coast.
As of 5 a.m. EDT, Bertha was about 165 miles west-southwest of Panama City, Fla. and some 50 miles east-northeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, the hurricane center pointed out.
Warnings and watches in effect
A tropical storm warning was posted Wednesday from the Okaloosa/Walton County Line in Florida to Morgan City, Louisiana as well as for New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.
A tropical storm watch was up for the area west of Morgan City to Cameron, Louisiana, and Lake Maurepas.
"Tropical storm conditions will continue spreading across portions of the northern Gulf Coast within the warning area today. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area in Louisiana by tonight," the center said.
"Bertha is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches with isolated higher totals to 6 inches through Thursday
along the central to the western Gulf Coast from western Florida to southern Texas," the center noted. "This rainfall may produce isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas."
The system could also produce storm surge, raising waters up to 4 feet in some locations along the coast.
Bertha comes weeks after the 2026 hurricane season's first named storm, Tropical Storm Arthur, which made landfall in June along the Gulf Coast of Texas.
