Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall east of New Orleans

A weakened Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall Wednesday afternoon on the Louisiana coast.

The storm made landfall at St. Bernard Parish just after 3 p.m. ET, about 40 miles east of downtown New Orleans, according to the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds were about 45 mph, with higher gusts, the NHC said.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

The National Hurricane Center had reported a few hours earlier that Bertha was approaching the Louisiana coast, moving west-northwest at 7 mph.

Bertha is expected to move along the Louisiana and upper Texas coastlines, producing gusting winds of up to 40 mph and bands of rain across southeast Louisiana and parts of Alabama. A storm surge of up to 3 feet along the Louisiana coast and dangerous rip currents are expected. 

Minor coastal flooding is possible during high tide Thursday morning. 

Whatever is left of the storm is expected to move into inland Texas on Thursday night and into Friday before it dissipates.

During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry described the latest forecast for Tropical Storm Bertha as “extremely encouraging.”

“The good news is that the storm is likely not to produce the type of rainfall or wind event that it could have,” Landry said. “But I want to remind everyone of something important: a forecast can change, and even a weaker storm can produce rainfall, localized flooding and hazardous travel conditions.”

The tropical storm, the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, had been forecast to weaken on Wednesday as it moves slowly west, skirting the Gulf Coast.

Tropical storm warnings remained in effect on Wednesday afternoon from Mobile, Alabama, to New Orleans, according to the NHC.

Before Bertha made landfall, Panama City, Florida, recorded a wind gust of 40 mph overnight, despite the storm's center at the time being roughly 90 miles away in the Gulf.

Bertha's landfall comes amid dangerous heat in the New Orleans area, where the heat index, or what the temperature feels like with humidity, is expected to climb to 115 degrees on Wednesday

Up to 4 inches of rain is possible along the Louisiana coast, with the heaviest precipitation south of New Orleans. 

A storm surge of between 1 and 3 feet is possible in the northern Gulf. 

New Orleans residents were preparing for Bertha's arrival by fortifying their properties with sandbags, and many boat owners in the region moved their vessels out of docks located along the coast to safer locations.

On Wednesday morning, Pensacola Bay, Florida, reported around 2 feet of storm surge, leading to minor flooding issues in typically flood-prone areas. Similar minor coastal flooding is possible in southern Alabama, including Mobile Bay, on Wednesday.

Bertha is creating a high risk of deadly rip currents along the Gulf Coast from southwest Florida to Louisiana. Surf of 8 to 11 feet is possible from the western Florida panhandle through southern Alabama. 

Tropical storm winds of more than 40 mph are possible in parts of southern Louisiana on Wednesday night. 

A tropical storm is defined as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph.

When Bertha or its remnants reach west Texas Thursday evening and into Friday, very little is forecast to remain other than light rain and breezy conditions.