The National Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Warning for a significant portion of the northern Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Bertha lingers in the eastern Gulf of America. As of the 10 p.m. CDT advisory on Monday, Bertha was situated approximately 140 miles south of Panama City, Florida and 215 miles southeast of Mobile, Alabama with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and a minimum central pressure of 999 mb.

Forecasters anticipate that Bertha will gradually shift its path westward to west-northwestward over the next few days, tracking near or along the northern Gulf Coast while gradually intensifying. This slow-moving storm poses a threat of heavy rain, storm surge, and damaging wind gusts to coastal areas.

Warnings and Watches Expanded

A Tropical Storm Warning is currently in effect from the Alabama/Florida border westward to Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Additionally, a Storm Surge Watch covers the same stretch of coastline to the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Further, Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for:

  • The Florida Panhandle from the Bay/Gulf County line west to the Alabama border
  • Coastal Louisiana from west of Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish to Morgan City
  • The Metropolitan New OrleansLake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas

The Tropical Storm Watch east of the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida has been discontinued.

Expected Impacts

Tropical storm conditions are expected to reach the warning area by late Tuesday into Wednesday, while areas under a watch could begin experiencing tropical storm conditions as early as Tuesday.

A storm surge of 2 to 4 feet is possible from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama/Florida border, with 1 to 3 feet of surge possible in portions of coastal Louisiana, Lake Pontchartrain, and parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Bertha is forecast to produce 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, with isolated amounts up to 8 inches, from western Florida through southern Louisiana into portions of Alabama and Mississippi through Thursday. The heavy rainfall could lead to localized flash flooding, especially in urban areas.

Swell generated by Bertha are also expected to create dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents along portions of the Gulf Coast throughout the week.

The National Hurricane Center stated that additional watches or warnings may be required on Tuesday as Bertha’s forecast evolves.

Bertha’s Path and Intensification

As of Monday evening, the center of Bertha was located about 140 miles south of Panama City, Florida, in the northern Gulf. Maximum sustained winds were around 40 mph, and some additional strengthening is expected as the storm approaches land, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

The slow-moving storm drifted for hours on Monday but is expected to stay near or along the northern Gulf Coast early this week, unleashing heavy rain on coastal areas of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana as it pushes west toward Texas.

Bertha is the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arthur last month brought heavy rainfall to the southeastern United States.

The storm was nearly stationary by Monday night but was expected to make a west-northwestward or westward turn toward the coast over the next few days, according to the hurricane center.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for a wide area from the Alabama-Florida border westward to southeastern Louisiana at the Jefferson and Plaquemines parish line. A storm surge watch also has been posted from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama-Florida border on the Gulf Coast.

Potentially life-threatening storm surges of up to four feet could occur in portions of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida, the hurricane center said, warning Bertha could spin off an isolated tornado or two over the Florida Big Bend region in the week.

Areas of flash flooding will also be possible through Friday along the coast from western Florida to middle Texas, forecasters said. They added that rainfall could total 3 to 5 inches along the Louisiana coastline with higher amounts in some scattered areas.

Red flags were flying on the beach at Orange Beach, Alabama, cautioning swimmers about high surf and currents. In Escambia County, Florida, emergency officials offered sand for people living in flood-prone areas to use for sandbags.