Weather
Tropical Storm Bertha To Bring Heavy Rain, Winds To Gulf States: See FL Impacts
Slow-moving Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to move northwest and then west across the Gulf this week, forecasters said.
As Tropical Storm Bertha crawls across the Gulf, it will bring heavy rains and winds to parts of northwestern Florida and other Gulf states, the National Hurricane Center said.
As Bertha makes a slow approach to land, the system is about 100 miles south of Panama City, moving northwest at about 5 mph, as of Tuesday morning, forecasters said. It’s expected to make a turn westward by the middle of the week.
The storm is forecast to make landfall in southeastern Louisiana early Thursday morning, Fox 35 meteorologist Noah Bergren wrote in a social media post.
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The system is expected to bring tropical storm conditions to parts of the Gulf Coast from Alabama west to southeast Louisiana Tuesday night and Wednesday. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for these areas, the NHC said.
Tropical storm conditions are possible for parts of the Florida Panhandle, metro New Orleans and the southern Louisiana coast, where a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect, the agency said.
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There will be no direct impact to the Florida peninsula.
Bertha will bring 2 to 4 inches of rain with isolated higher totals around 6 inches in some areas along the Gulf Coast, including western Florida, through Thursday, forecasters said.
A Storm Surge Watch is also in effect for the Alabama, Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana coasts, where a life-threatening storm surge is possible.
Additional watches and warnings could later be put in place for other parts of Louisiana and Texas as the storm churns northwest across the Gulf.
Areas of flash flooding will be possible through Thursday along the Gulf Coast and nearby inland locations from Florida’s Big Bend region to southern Louisiana, forecasters said.
Swells generated by Bertha are affecting portions of the Gulf coast of Florida and are likely to spread west during the week. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
The storm isn’t expected to strengthen further, forecasters said.
“Bertha is being sheared with all of the convection pushed away from the center. Winds are 50 mph in a small area...less than an afternoon thunderstorm,” Denis Phillips, chief meteorologist for Tampa Bay 28, wrote in a social media post, adding, “Conditions are working against Bertha getting much stronger. The Gulf is warm, so we watch for any unexpected changes. Bottom line, mostly rain with a name. Let's hope it stays that way.”
Meteorologist Matt Devitt wrote in a social media post that “despite the upgrade to Bertha, it’s still a weak storm battling shear and dry air.”
Devitt added, “That very same shear impacting the storm right now, is also expected to keep the system lopsided. That should help to keep the greatest rainfall on the southern side of the storm over the Gulf or closer to the coast the next few days.”
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