Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall in Louisiana and moves toward Texas
[July 23, 2026]
By JOHN SEEWER
Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in Louisiana and was southwest of
New Orleans while moving west toward Texas early Thursday morning, after
closing beaches on the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to
Mississippi.
The storm made landfall Wednesday afternoon in St. Bernard Parish about
40 miles (65 kilometers) east of New Orleans. The storm was forecast to
reach the upper Texas coast on Thursday before dissipating inland in
Texas by Friday.
Early Thursday, the storm was about 110 miles (175 kilometers) southwest
of New Orleans and about 120 miles (190 kilometers) southeast of Lake
Charles, Louisiana, moving west at 12 mph (19 kph) with maximum
sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.
The wind and storm surge were the main threats for the Deep South
states. Parks and piers were closed up and down the coast, as were some
low-lying roads. A tropical storm warning stretched from Alabama to
Louisiana, including New Orleans where extreme heat was adding to
misery.
Onlookers watched the storm surge at the Lake Pontchartrain estuary,
with kids splashing in the floodwaters as Bertha approached the
Louisiana Coast. Residents mowed their lawns even as streets filled up
with water.
Tropical storm force winds were felt as much as 160 miles (260
kilometers) from the center of the storm, the hurricane center said. A
wind gust of 44 mph (71 kph) was recorded at New Orleans Lakefront
Airport on Wednesday afternoon. The strong gales knocked over a Waffle
House sign onto a car in Panama City Beach, Florida.
But the heaviest rains were staying offshore, reducing the risks of
flooding, the center said.
The storm is unlikely to leave behind widespread damage, Louisiana State
Climatologist Jay Grymes said, adding that the impact should be
manageable for coastal communities.
Gov. Jeff Landry called the forecast “encouraging” but also warned
residents to be prepared for some flooding.
Storm surges up to 3 feet (1 meter) were possible in Louisiana and
Alabama, forecasters said. Rain totals were forecast between 1 and 4
inches (3 to 10 centimeters), with higher amounts possible in isolated
areas.
Elsewhere in the U.S., a line of storms on Tuesday generated reports of
tornadoes stretching from Cincinnati to New Jersey. Torrential rains
caused flash floods that swamped homes, washed out bridges and led to
water rescues in West Virginia, authorities said.
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Michael Ray, 3, holds the hands of his grandmother, Shirella Ray, as
they and other family members watch waves from Lake Pontchartrain
crash along Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans as Tropical Storm Bertha
approaches the Louisiana coast on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Brett
Duke/The Advocate via AP)
Rare combination of tropical storm and heat warnings
Southern Louisiana was under tropical storm and extreme heat
warnings for much of Wednesday — a rare double dose of suffering,
the National Weather Service said.
It was the first time in at least two decades that’s happened in the
area, the weather service said, citing records that date back to
2005.
Bertha is the second tropical storm of the Atlantic season
Bertha is the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane
season. Tropical Storm Arthur in June brought heavy rainfall to the
southeastern U.S.
Bertha could dump heavy rain on coastal areas of Mississippi that
are still recovering from flooding brought by Arthur that destroyed
and damaged homes.
Hurricane Fausto in the Pacific is far from land
In the eastern Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Fausto churned far from land
Wednesday. The hurricane was hundreds of miles west-southwest of the
southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds of 80
mph (130 kph).
It was forecast to gradually strengthen and the hurricane center
said that ocean swells generated by Fausto were spreading along the
Baja California coast and likely to cause life-threatening surf and
rip tides.
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Associated Press journalists Julie Walker in New York, Kim Chandler
in Montgomery, Alabama, and Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles contributed
to this report.
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