Tropical storm Bertha fighting to maintain strength. Here's what South MS should know

Tropical Storm Bertha is battling wind shear and carrying maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, while on a forecast track that would brush the Mississippi Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The NHC, in its 4 p.m. update, said that Bertha’s maximum sustained winds remained the same from the 1 p.m. update. The storm sits about 105 miles west-southwest of Panama City, Florida, and is moving northwest at 6 mph. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from the center, an increase of 25 miles from the 1 p.m. update.

The National Hurricane Center says a turn toward the west-northwest and west is expected tonight, with a continued westward motion forecast Wednesday through Friday. On the forecast track, Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next couple of days or so.

A National Ocean Service station in Panama City Beach, Florida, reported sustained winds of 45 mph and a gust of 57 mph during the past few hours.

The heaviest rains from Bertha are south of the storm in the Gulf, with a coastal flood warning of 2-4 feet above normal.

Harrison County Emergency Management director Matt Stratton said the Coast is already experiencing Bertha’s gusts of up to 25 mph today, but Mississippi Coast impacts have been adjusted downward for Wednesday.

“I think it’s going to be mainly gusty, not long sustained, tropical storm force winds,” he said.

Watches and warnings in effect for the Coast

The Mississippi Coast remains under a tropical storm warning and a storm surge watch.

Tropical storm warning: This watch stretches from the Alabama-Florida border to the Jefferson-Plaquemines Parish border in Louisiana. In Jackson, Harrison and Hancock counties, the warning is in effect south of Interstate 10.

A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

Tropical storm watch: In Mississippi, this watch covers Jackson, Harrison and Hancock county locations north of Interstate 10.

A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Storm surge watch: This watch covers from the Alabama-Florida Border to the mouth of the Mississippi River.

A storm surge watch means there is a possibility of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours. For a depiction of areas at risk, visit the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov.

Hazards

Winds: Tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area along the northern Gulf coast by late today into Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area in the Florida Panhandle later today. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area in Louisiana by late tonight into Wednesday.

Storm surge: The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the immediate coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.

Rainfall: Bertha is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with isolated higher totals around 6 inches through Thursday along the Gulf Coast and adjacent inland locations from western Florida into southern Louisiana, including southern portions of Alabama and Mississippi. This rainfall may produce areas of flash flooding, especially in urban areas.