Tropical Storm Bertha caused coastal flooding issues in Louisiana and beach erosion in Alabama.
Tropical Rainstorm Bertha is moving west across Texas after making landfall Wednesday in St. Bernard Parish and another landfall Thursday near the border of Texas and Louisiana, bringing heavy downpours.
Bertha will continue to lose intensity into Friday morning as its impacts spread across South Texas. Heavy rain could trigger localized flash flooding, while dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents will persist well away from the storm’s center.
Follow AccuWeather’s live coverage for the latest updates on Bertha’s track, strength, warnings, flooding, power outages, travel disruptions and storm damage.
AccuWeather is wrapping up its live coverage of Bertha, the second storm of the Atlantic hurricane season which made multiple landfalls along the Gulf Coast. Stay up to date on the latest weather in your area by downloading the AccuWeather mobile app and visiting AccuWeather.com. And keep an eye on weather news and forecasts by following AccuWeather on:
•Facebook
•Instagram
•X
•TikTok
•Youtube
Bertha degenerated late Thursday night.
AccuWeather will now refer to the system as Tropical Rainstorm Bertha as it continues moving inland.
Although Bertha is no longer a tropical cyclone, lingering tropical moisture can still produce heavy rain and localized flooding along and near its path. Residents should continue monitoring local alerts, especially in areas where the ground is already saturated from earlier rainfall.
Bertha weakened to a tropical depression Thursday evening as it moved inland across southeastern Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 7 p.m. CDT, the center of Bertha was about 10 miles north-northeast of Houston. The depression had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and was moving west at 13 mph.
The National Hurricane Center discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning from the Vermilion-Cameron Parish line in Louisiana to Sargent, Texas. There are no longer any coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Despite the downgrade, Bertha can continue producing locally heavy rain and gusty winds as it tracks farther inland across Texas. Residents should remain alert for areas of flooding, especially in low-lying and poor-drainage locations.
Following a second landfall in Texas on July 23, Bertha is heading southwest toward northern Mexico, where forecasters say it will likely dump heavy rain.
A washed out sea turtle nest in Alligator Point, Florida after Bertha. (Image credit: Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol)
Tropical Storm Bertha has dealt a major setback to an exceptional sea turtle nesting season across the Southeast.
The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol said only four of 22 monitored nests survived after coastal flooding, high surf and erosion reshaped parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
At Alligator Point, every monitored nest was inundated by storm surge or completely washed out.
“We’re heartbroken,” the patrol wrote on Facebook, noting that eggs can suffocate once water fills the nest chamber.
St. George Island also lost nests to flooding, but volunteers rescued numerous hatchlings Wednesday. Two new nests were also discovered.
The losses came during a standout season. Hilton Head Island reached 400 nests on July 22 and could challenge its 2019 record of 464 nests.
Florida had counted more than 94,000 loggerhead nests as of June 30, while Virginia recorded its first-ever leatherback sea turtle nest.
The center of Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall near the border of Texas and Louisiana at 2 p.m. EDT Thursday, less than 24 hours after making landfall at St. Bernard Parish on the southeastern side of Louisiana. Bertha had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, and the vast majority of its rain was well to the south approaching the coast of Texas.
Tropical Storm Bertha seen on NOAA satellite beginning its second landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border on Thursday, July 23, 2026. (Image: NOAA)
Tropical Storm Bertha began making its second landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border Thursday, bringing the threat of flooding rain, gusty winds and coastal flooding to parts of the western Gulf Coast.
“Bertha is starting to make landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border,” AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. “The main impact from this storm will be heavy rain along the Gulf Coast from southern Louisiana to eastern Texas.”
Coastal areas of Texas are expected to receive 2-4 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts possible. Rain could also spread farther inland across central and southern Texas, potentially reaching the Texas Hill Country.
That region would be especially vulnerable to flooding following recent rounds of deadly and destructive rainfall. If Bertha’s moisture reaches that far west, a general 1-2 inches of rain is expected, according to DaSilva.
Locally gusty winds could knock down trees and power lines near the storm’s track, while storm surge may cause flooding along portions of the coast.
Due to the combined threats of heavy rainfall, flooding, gusty winds and storm surge, Bertha is rated less than one on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in both the United States and Mexico.
As the sun rose on Thursday morning, the Hurricane Hunters were in the air flying through Tropical Storm Bertha, collecting data to determine how strong the storm was as it moved back over the Gulf. Video captured by one of the crew members showed waves crashing along the coast of Louisiana, the area experiencing the worst conditions early Thursday morning.
The latest data from the Hurricane Hunters indicates that the center of Bertha is becoming elongated right along the coast of southwestern Louisiana. Bertha remains a lopsided storm, with the bulk of its rain and thunderstorms located more than 100 miles southwest of the center of circulation.
A Tropical Storm Warning in place for the Louisiana and Texas coasts on Thursday, July 13, 2026.
Galveston emergency management officials are urging residents to secure outdoor furniture, decorations and other loose objects that could become dangerous projectiles as Tropical Storm Beryl approaches.
Galveston remains under a tropical storm warning, with wind gusts up to 45 mph possible through Thursday afternoon. Residents should bring unsecured items indoors or firmly anchor them before conditions deteriorate.
AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Laubach is reporting from Galveston Thursday morning, where conditions remained calm ahead of the storm. Winds are expected to increase as Beryl moves closer to the upper Texas coast.
Galveston, Texas on July 23, 2026, ahead of Tropical Storm Bertha's biggest impacts. (Image: Tony Laubach/AccuWeather)
The center of Bertha has emerged back over the Gulf after tracking across Louisiana on Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night, and is tracking toward Texas. As of 8 a.m. EDT, maximum winds were 45 mph, and it was moving west at 13 mph.
A satellite image of Tropical Storm Bertha early on Thursday, July 23, 2026. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)
Bertha could gain some strength as it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf, but is expected to remain a tropical storm leading up to landfall in Texas on Thursday afternoon. “Flooding rain and storm surge remain the primary threats,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Breanna Grill said. “The highest additional rainfall totals of 2-4 inches are expected across a portion of southern and coastal Texas. The Texas Hill Country may be especially susceptible to flash flooding following last week’s catastrophic flooding.”
Tropical Storm Bertha caused coastal flooding across Louisiana and Alabama, but overall, people say it was a useful practice round to prepare for any potentially worse storms later this hurricane season.
Tropical Storm Bertha will continue tracking west across Louisiana overnight after making landfall Wednesday afternoon in St. Bernard Parish. As of 7 p.m. CDT, Bertha was moving west at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
The storm is expected to maintain tropical-storm strength through Thursday, bringing gusty winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding to southwest Louisiana before nearing the upper Texas coast. Tropical Storm Warnings remain in effect westward to Cameron, Louisiana, while a Tropical Storm Watch extends to Sargent, Texas.
A timeline of Bertha's heaviest rain in Texas through Friday, July 24, 2026.
Although Bertha's center has moved inland, impacts will continue well away from the storm overnight. Moderate coastal flooding remains possible along parts of the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, while the risk of flash flooding will shift west as bands of heavy rain spread across southwest Louisiana and toward southeast Texas.
Dangerous surf and rip currents will also persist along much of the northern Gulf Coast.
Stick with AccuWeather.com for the latest forecasts and live updates.
With low wind speeds, a lot of people have downplayed Bertha, but there are still hazards along the coast that aren’t worth taking unnecessary risks.
A temporary lull in Tropical Storm Bertha's impacts prompted more people to venture out on Dauphin Island, Alabama, but AccuWeather storm chaser Aaron Rigsby warned that flood dangers remain.
Rigsby said he witnessed multiple drivers enter standing water and stall their vehicles on the island's western end, where storm surge and waves submerged or buried at least six or seven vehicles.
"Just because conditions aren't bad in the short term, you should stay hunkered indoors and let the system move past...It's not worth losing your property or, in some cases, putting your life at risk," Rigsby reported.
While rainfall was limited for much of the day, bands of showers and thunderstorms continued to rotate around Bertha, maintaining the threat of localized flooding. Rigsby also reported significant beach erosion and warned that additional tropical systems later this season could leave some shoreline homes increasingly vulnerable.
Children play near breaking waves on West End Pier on Lake Pontchartrain as Tropical Storm Bertha approaches the Louisiana Coast Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
AccuWeather Correspondent Bill Wadell was in New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon where Lake Pontchartrain meets the city, and was being drenched by the massive waves crashing into the coastline.
“It’s not really the rain causing all of the flooding issues here on Lakeshore Drive, it’s just all the water being pushed in by Bertha up and over the seawall and crashing in,” Wadell said.
Drains were struggling to keep up with the surge of water that even caught some locals by surprise. Watch the full report below:
Bertha kicked up large waves on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain as gusty winds swept across the New Orleans area during Tropical Storm Bertha’s landfall on July 22.
Storm chaser Aaron Rigsby reports from Dauphin Island, Alabama, on the impacts of Tropical Storm Bertha on July 22.
AccuWeather storm chaser Aaron Rigsby reported live from Alabama on Wednesday afternoon as Tropical Storm Bertha continued to bring gusty winds, coastal flooding and storm surge to the Gulf Coast. Rigsby said storm surge submerged at least six vehicles on the western end of Dauphin Island and caused significant beach erosion.
Cars submerged in sand as Bertha moves through Dauphin, Alabama highlight the region's erosion concerns.
Flooding forced the closure of all lanes on Dauphin Island Parkway at Dog River, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation. Officials also closed access from the Causeway's eastbound lanes to the I-10 Bayway ramp, and Cedar Point Pier was shut down because of hazardous conditions.
Meanwhile, Alabama Power scheduled a temporary outage on Dauphin Island to repair a power pole damaged near the causeway with the Dauphin Police Department reporting power has since been restored. Wind gusts remained strong throughout the day, with Rigsby noting one nearly knocked over his tripod before the live report.
Tropical Storm Bertha is tracking across southern Louisiana at 7 mph, and in less than 24 hours, it is predicted to make landfall in Texas. After traversing southeastern Louisiana, the center of Bertha will briefly shift back over the warm waters of the Gulf before reaching the coast of Texas on Thursday afternoon.
AccuWeather meteorologists are currently predicting Thursday’s landfall to occur near Galveston, with impacts that could disrupt daily routines, outdoor plans and travel around Houston. “Heavy rainfall, storm surge and localized flash flooding may affect access to facilities, delay shipments and disrupt business continuity across the Gulf Coast through this week,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Breanna Grill said.
Bertha officially made landfall in the St. Bernard Parish of Louisiana, near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area, on the afternoon of July 22 as AccuWeather tracked its path live.
At 3 p.m. EDT, Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area, located 40 miles east of New Orleans. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was generating some coastal flooding due to storm surge. Most of the rain was well south of Bertha’s center over the Gulf, but some showers were spreading across eastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle.
Bertha is forecast to track westward through the rest of the week, eventually impacting Texas.
Wind and waves pound the shore in Orange Beach, Alabama, on July 22, 2026 as Tropical Storm Bertha churns off shore. (Image credit: Orange Beach Surf Rescue)
Double red flags are flying in Orange Beach, Alabama, on Wednesday as Tropical Storm Bertha creates potentially life-threatening rip currents and dangerous surf along the Gulf Coast.
Orange Beach Surf Rescue said Gulf waters are closed to the public, although the beach itself remains open. Entering the water under double red flags could result in a fine or arrest.
Waves were running 9 to 11 feet and continuing to build, with choppy conditions and a strong eastward-running current. The rip current risk remains high.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the area, with northeast winds around 25 mph. Showers and thunderstorms are likely, with temperatures in the lower 80s.
Beachgoers should stay out of the Gulf and follow all instructions from local officials and lifeguards.
Tropical Storm Bertha is beginning to make landfall across the far eastern portions of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.
Bertha was moving west-northwest at about 6 mph with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph and higher gusts. A more westward track and an increase in forward speed are expected later Wednesday and through Friday.
The center of Bertha is forecast to move near or along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts through Thursday before pushing farther inland across Texas on Friday.
Gradual weakening is expected over the next couple of days, although Bertha could maintain tropical storm strength through late Thursday.
A satellite image of Tropical Storm Bertha on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The center of the storm can be seen just south of Mississippi, while most of its rain and thunderstorms were well south of Louisiana. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)
Bertha is not a typical tropical storm, with most of its rain and thunderstorms displaced well south of the center of circulation. As the storm’s center moves inland Wednesday, Bertha’s future will depend on whether it shifts back over the Gulf or stays over land.
“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,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
If the center shifts south or a new center develops over the Gulf, Bertha could begin to reorganize before reaching the Texas coast. That would increase the risk of stronger winds and storm surge along the coast, while also allowing heavy rain to reach farther inland. “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,” Meteorologist Breanna Grill said.
On the AccuWeather Network, Alex DaSilva answers a TikTok user’s important question about how a tropical system can still strengthen despite disruptions from wind shear.
Bertha has appeared to fluctuate over the past 24 hours while battling wind shear and attempting to strengthen. So how can both happen at the same time?
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said the exceptionally warm waters of the northern Gulf are helping fuel the storm, even as wind shear disrupts its organization.
“The storm can still gradually strengthen, even though it’s battling wind shear,” DaSilva said. “The waters in the northern Gulf are well above the 80-degree threshold needed to sustain tropical development.”
For now, however, wind shear appears to be limiting Bertha. AccuWeather meteorologists say the hostile winds are preventing the storm from rapidly intensifying.
Tropical storm watches and warning in effect on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, ahead of Tropical Storm Bertha's landfall.
Tropical storm warnings and watches are in effect along a broad stretch of the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Bertha approaches the region.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from the Okaloosa-Walton county line in Florida westward to Morgan City, Louisiana. The warning also includes metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.
A warning means tropical storm conditions, including sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph, are expected within the warned area.
Farther west, a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from west of Morgan City to Sargent, Texas, as well as Lake Maurepas. A watch means tropical storm conditions are possible, generally within 48 hours.
Residents and visitors across the central Gulf Coast should closely monitor forecast updates and be prepared for changing conditions as Bertha moves closer to land.
The center of Bertha is approaching Louisiana, with landfall expected on Wednesday. With time ticking down, residents have been busy filling sandbags and helping each other prepare for the second storm of the hurricane season.
In Houma, Louisiana, people gathered to fill sandbags for themselves and those in need. Kathryn Holloway was collecting sandbags to help an older couple living in her neighborhood. Their house was “1 inch away” from getting water during the last tropical storm, Holloway told AccuWeather Correspondent Bill Wadell.
Bertha is not expected to produce the same widespread flooding as Arthur, but people are taking the storm seriously, especially this early in the hurricane season. “It’s better to get it earlier in the season anyway because you never know around here,” Houma resident Christine Bourdelon told AccuWeather. Watch the full report below:
People who dealt with flooding and tornado damage from Tropical Storm Arthur last month are preparing for wind and rain from Bertha.
Tropical Storm Bertha is forecast to make its first landfall around 5 p.m. Wednesday near southeastern Louisiana before tracking along the Gulf Coast on Thursday.
The storm is then expected to move back over the northern Gulf and make a second landfall in Texas on Friday morning.
Bertha’s coast-hugging track could help limit its wind intensity, according to AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva.
“The ‘hug-the-coast’ scenario should hold back wind intensity,” DaSilva said.
Tropical Storm Berth's Eye Path.
Tropical Storm Bertha is tracking westward, almost parallel to the Gulf Coast, and is predicted to make two landfalls before the weekend.
The first landfall is expected around 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday in southeastern Louisiana as a tropical storm, with the center of the storm eventually tracking very close to or directly over New Orleans. “Storm surge along a portion of the Gulf Coast from southeastern Louisiana through Florida’s Big Bend region can reach 1-3 feet, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 5 feet,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Breanna Grill said.
After moving over the Louisiana coast, Bertha is forecast to briefly track back over the Gulf before making another landfall in Texas late Thursday night or early Friday morning. “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,” Grill said. Read AccuWeather’s full breakdown of Tropical Storm Bertha’s forecast here.
People across New Orleans are filling sandbags and preparing for the risk of flooding rainfall from Tropical Storm Bertha, just one month after Arthur blew through.
AccuWeather Correspondent Bill Wadell reports from New Orleans that officials are urging residents to have sandbags ready, particularly in areas that regularly experience flooding, as Tropical Storm Bertha threatens another round of flooding rainfall and gusty winds.
Just last month the Gulf Coast saw flooding and tornadoes from Tropical Storm Arthur.
