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Tropical Storm Bertha began moving ashore in eastern St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, on Wednesday afternoon, bringing heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and dangerous surf to coastal communities stretching from Florida to Louisiana.
As the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, Bertha moved west-northwest at around 6 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Forecasts indicate the storm’s center will drift along the Louisiana and upper Texas coastlines through Thursday before tracking further inland into Texas by Friday.
Weather officials issued a Tropical Storm Warning spanning from the Okaloosa-Walton county line in Florida to Morgan City, Louisiana, including Lake Pontchartrain and the metropolitan New Orleans area. To the west, a Tropical Storm Watch stretches from Morgan City to Sargent, Texas.
Though battling atmospheric wind shear, the storm has drawn energy from warm Gulf waters. “The storm can still gradually strengthen, even though it’s battling wind shear,” said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert at AccuWeather. “The waters in the northern Gulf are well above the 80-degree threshold needed to sustain tropical development.”
Meteorologists noted that much of the rain and thunderstorm activity remains displaced south of the storm’s physical center, making its exact trajectory critical to its intensity.
“If Bertha were to remain over southern Louisiana and not make it back to the Gulf, much of its circulation could diminish prior to reaching Texas, and the storm would quickly transition from a tropical depression to a tropical rainstorm,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
Hazardous marine conditions are already impacting coastal areas well east of the landfall site. Officials in Orange Beach, Alabama, flew double red flags on Wednesday, closing Gulf waters to the public as surf built to 9 to 11 feet alongside severe rip currents.
While gradual weakening is expected over the coming days, weather forecasters warn that hazards remain widespread regardless of Bertha’s immediate path.
“While the exact track of Bertha can still fluctuate over the next couple of days, heavy rainfall and hazardous marine conditions are expected regardless of the storm’s path,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Breanna Grill.
Local authorities continue to urge residents across the central Gulf Coast to monitor local alerts, prepare for potential power disruptions, and obey all beach closures and safety instructions.
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Bertha Touches Down In Louisiana, Threatens Gulf Coast With Heavy Rain And Surge
