Article first published: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 4 a.m. ET

Article last updated: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 7 p.m. ET

System type: Tropical storm

System name: Bertha

According to the National Hurricane Center’s 7 p.m. Wednesday advisory, Bertha is now affecting Louisiana. Tropical Storm Bertha is 40 miles southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana and 165 miles east-southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The system, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, is moving west at 7 mph.

“… the center of Bertha will move near or along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts through Thursday, and then move farther inland into Texas Thursday night,” forecasters observed. “Little change in strength is expected during the next day or so, and Bertha is forecast to maintain tropical storm intensity up until it reaches the upper Texas coast on Thursday.” They also said “Bertha is expected to dissipate inland over Texas by Thursday night or Friday.”

Forecasters extended a tropical storm watch and a tropical storm warning for westward along the Louisiana coast.

Watches and warnings currently in effect

• Tropical Storm Warning for:

• Alabama/Florida border to Cameron, Louisiana

• Metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain

• Tropical Storm Watch for:

• West of Cameron, Louisiana, to Sargent, Texas

• Lake Maurepas

Meaning of the different watches and warnings

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within 24 hours.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within the next 24 to 36 hours.

Hazards affecting land

Wind. Tropical storm conditions will continue spreading across portions of the northern Gulf Coast within the warning area through Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area by Thursday or Thursday night.

Storm surge. The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the immediate coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…

Alabama/Florida border to Port Bolivar, TX…1-3 ft Lake Pontchartrain…1-3 ft

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.

For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?peakSurge.

Rainfall. Bertha is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 1 to 4 inches with isolated higher totals of 6 inches through Friday along the central to western Gulf Coast from Northwest Florida to southern Texas. This rainfall may produce isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas.

For a complete forecast of rainfall associated with Bertha, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?rainqpf and the Flash Flood Risk graphic at hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ero.

Surf. Swells generated by Bertha will continue spreading westward along the northern Gulf Coast during the next few days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

A depiction of rip current risk for the United States can be found at: hurricanes.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?ripCurrents

Source: National Hurricane Center