Daijiworld Media Network – Louisiana
Louisiana, Jul 23: Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday before moving west towards Texas, prompting tropical storm warnings, beach closures and flood precautions along the US Gulf Coast.
The storm came ashore in St Bernard Parish, about 65 km east of New Orleans, and was later located around 175 km southwest of the city, moving west at 19 kmph with maximum sustained winds of 75 kmph, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Authorities warned that strong winds and storm surges posed the main threats across the Deep South, with tropical storm warnings remaining in effect from Alabama to Louisiana, including New Orleans. Parks, piers and several low-lying roads were closed as a precaution.
Storm surge was observed along the Lake Pontchartrain estuary, while tropical storm-force winds extended up to 260 km from the storm's centre. A wind gust of 71 kmph was recorded at New Orleans Lakefront Airport, while strong winds toppled a Waffle House sign onto a vehicle in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Forecasters said the heaviest rainfall remained offshore, reducing the risk of widespread inland flooding. Rainfall between 3 cm and 10 cm was forecast across affected areas, with isolated locations likely to receive higher amounts. Storm surges of up to one metre were expected along parts of the Louisiana and Alabama coasts.
Louisiana State Climatologist Jay Grymes said the storm was unlikely to cause widespread destruction, although coastal communities could experience manageable impacts. Governor Jeff Landry described the forecast as encouraging but urged residents to remain alert for flooding.
Southern Louisiana was simultaneously placed under tropical storm and extreme heat warnings, marking the first such combination in the region in at least two decades, according to the National Weather Service.
Bertha is the second named tropical storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Arthur, which caused heavy flooding across parts of the southeastern United States in June.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Fausto continued to strengthen over open waters west-southwest of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. Although far from land, authorities warned that dangerous ocean swells and rip currents generated by the hurricane could affect coastal areas of Baja California.