Tropical Storm Bertha made a second landfall on Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana border after moving slowly along southern Louisiana, bringing heavy surf and localized flooding to parts of the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center reported that the storm came ashore approximately 75 miles northeast of Galveston, Texas, during the afternoon and maintained tropical storm status with sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) three hours later. Forecasters anticipated further weakening overnight as the system moved inland.
Bertha originally formed in the Gulf of Mexico south of the Florida Panhandle on Monday. It first reached land on Wednesday southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, causing some coastal flooding. The storm’s heaviest rainfall remained offshore until Thursday afternoon, when bands of rain began moving into southeast Texas. Tropical storm warnings remained in effect from Sargent, Texas, to the Vermilion and Cameron Parish line in Louisiana, with possible storm surges up to 2 feet (0.6 meters) and isolated flash flooding expected along the coast.
The storm’s tropical storm force winds extended as far as 140 miles (225 kilometers) from its center. While no significant damage or fatalities have been reported, Bertha prompted local precautions across the region. In Galveston, an island city of about 53,000 people southeast of Houston, emergency management officials advised residents to secure loose objects and prepare for gusty winds throughout the day. Despite the warnings, businesses generally remained open. The Galveston Historic Seaport canceled sightseeing boat tours on Thursday as a precaution but otherwise continued normal operations, and the Harbor House Hotel and Marina reported a typical day without cancellations.
Bertha’s impact along the Gulf Coast included some structural damage and disruptions. In Pensacola, Florida, officials closed a section of a beach boardwalk after storm-related damage compromised its support structure. Earlier in the week, strong winds also knocked over a Waffle House sign in Panama City Beach, Florida. Coastal authorities issued warnings against swimming due to heavy surf and rip tide risks associated with the storm.
Bertha is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Arthur in June, which brought heavy rains to the southeastern United States. Meanwhile, in the eastern Pacific, Hurricane Fausto continued moving far from land with sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), generating swells that could produce hazardous surf and rip tides along parts of southern California.
The approaching storm also affected other activities in the region, leading SpaceX to postpone a planned Starship test launch from southern Texas on Thursday evening. The launch was rescheduled for Friday when clearer skies were forecast. Authorities expect Bertha to dissipate over inland Texas by Friday as the storm loses strength.