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Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall at 3 p.m., July 22, in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Per the NHC, satellite images indicate the center of Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area in St. Bernard Parish, with estimated maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and higher gusts.
Bertha lost a little strength and picked up a little speed as it approached the coast of southeastern Louisiana.
The tropical storm warning in Northwest Florida has been dropped as tropical-storm conditions spread west. Tropical storm warnings remain in effect from the Alabama/Florida border to Morgan City, Louisiana, and metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.
Florida residents felt impacts from Bertha today as the storm moved slowly to the west or northwest, hugging the northern Gulf coast. Impacts included tropical-storm-force winds, locally heavy rain and a high risk of life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf, according to the National Weather Service Mobile.
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Wind shear is keeping Bertha from strengthening in the warm waters of the Gulf and keeping the heaviest rain off the northern Gulf coast.
"Wobbles and deviations like the current one are normal behavior for such a highly sheared tropical cyclone," the National Hurricane Center said.
"Once a westward motion resumes, Bertha's center is likely to straddle the coast of Louisiana through Thursday (July 23) and then reach the upper Texas coast by Thursday evening or night."
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Here's the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center as of 2 p.m., July 22:
Highlights on what Tropical Storm Bertha is doing now
Special note on the NHC cone: The forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm could travel outside the cone. In 2026, the Hurricane Center is experimenting with a new cone to include 90% of forecast track possibilities instead of the previous 67% forecast error.
- Location: 45 miles southwest of Biloxi, Mississippi; 40 miles east of New Orleans, Louisiana
- Maximum wind speed: 45 mph
- Direction: west-northwest at 7 mph
How far is Tropical Storm Bertha from Florida?
As of the 2 p.m. July 22 advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Bertha was located:
- 118 miles west of Pensacola
- 207 miles west of Panama City
- 290 miles west of Tallahassee
- 435 miles west of Sarasota
Spaghetti models for Tropical Storm Bertha
➤ Spaghetti models for Tropical Storm Bertha
Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
Where will Tropical Storm Bertha make landfall?
AccuWeather forecasters predicted Bertha would make landfall in southeastern Louisiana late July 22.
Afterward, "Bertha is forecast to meander back toward the southern Louisiana coast on Thursday (July 23), briefly emerge over the northern Gulf, and then move back onshore in Texas by the end of the week."
The NHC intensity forecast maintains Bertha as a minimal tropical storm through 36 hours (around the time of a potential Texas landfall), the National Hurricane Center said.
Is Florida in the path of Tropical Storm Bertha?
No. As of 3 p.m. July 22, Tropical Storm Bertha was moving west-northwest at 7 mph.
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Most spaghetti models show Bertha continuing to hug the northern Gulf coast as it heads west toward Louisiana and Texas.
Remember, the path and strength of a storm can change rapidly. Remain vigilant and stay prepared.
Are any Florida counties still under tropical storm warning?
No..
As of 2 p.m. July 22, all tropical storm warnings east of the Alabama/Florida border have been dropped.
Will Tropical Storm Bertha impact Florida today, July 22?
Yes, although impacts are decreasing as Bertha continues moving west.
Gusty winds, up to tropical-storm -force strength, will again be in play on July 22, mostly confined to coastal western Panhandle locations, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
There's a high risk of life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf through July 23, the National Weather Service Mobile said.
"Based on the current track, potential impacts from tropical-storm-force winds and locally heavy rain will be limited to coastal areas and offshore."
"Gusty winds are still in the forecast along the coast through the morning and into the afternoon before slowly calming down this evening," the National Weather Service Tallahassee posted on X.
"Occasional gusts to 40 mph are possible, especially in the passing tropical downpours we'll have moving through the area today (July 22).
"Dangerous beach conditions persist for a few more days. High surf of 4 to 9 feet are forecast along the Emerald Coast through Thursday afternoon with a high risk of rip currents at our area beaches through Friday," according to the National Weather Service Tallahassee.
The western coast of Florida also can expect to see gusty winds associated with Bertha through July 22, according to the National Weather Service Tampa Bay.
Expect Tropical Storm Bertha to leave Florida behind July 23, leaving a comparatively tranquil pattern in its wake, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
How strong is Tropical Storm Bertha and where is it going?
At 1 p.m. CT, the center of Tropical Storm Bertha was located near latitude 29.9 North, longitude 89.1 West.
Bertha is moving toward the west-northwest near 7 mph. A westward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected to resume later today and continue through Friday.
On the forecast track, the center of Bertha will move near or along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts through Thursday, and then move farther inland into Texas on Friday.
➤ Tropical Storm Bertha is messy and lopsided
Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 45 mph, with higher gusts.
Additional weakening is forecast during the next couple of days, but Bertha could maintain tropical storm intensity through late Thursday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center. Dauphin Island, Alabama, recently reported a sustained wind of 36 mph and a gust to 41 mph.
Data from the reconnaissance aircraft indicate that the minimum central pressure is 1000 mb.
Key messages from the National Hurricane Center: What you need to know about Tropical Storm Bertha
- Tropical storm conditions are expected to continue along portions of the northern Gulf Coast from the western Florida Panhandle to southeastern Louisiana, including the Metro New Orleans area, through tonight. Tropical storm conditions are possible for portions of the southwestern coast of Louisiana and upper Texas coast tonight through late Thursday.
- A coastal flood warning is in effect for the Mississippi and Louisiana coastlines, where moderate coastal flooding is expected.
- Isolated areas of flash flooding remain possible through Friday morning along the central to western Gulf Coast from Northwest Florida to southern Texas.
How strong could Tropical Storm Bertha get?
- As of 11 a.m. July 22: 50 mph
- 12 hours: 45 mph
- 24 hours: 40 mph
- 36 hours: 40 mph
- 48 hours: 35 mph, post tropical/remnant low
- 60 hours: dissipated
See expected impacts from Tropical Storm Bertha
- Wind: 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 and along the upper Texas coast by Thursday or Thursday night.
- 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:
- Alabama/Florida border to Port Bolivar, Texas: 1-3 feet
- Lake Pontchartrain: 1-3 feet
- Rainfall: Bertha is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches with isolated higher totals of 6 inches through Friday along the central to western Gulf Coast from Northwest Florida to southern Texas. This rainfall may produce isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas.
- Surf: Swells generated by Bertha will continue spreading westward along the northern Gulf Coast during the next few days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
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What's next?
We will continue to update our tropical weather coverage to bring you the most current information you need to protect your home and family.
This story has been updated with new information.
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://tallahassee.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall in Louisiana; Florida warnings dropped
