- Tropical Storm Bertha was upgraded from a weather disturbance overnight, centered about 110 miles south of Panama City in the Gulf of America, moving westward and likely to miss landfall in the Panhandle.
- The system has sustained winds of 45 knots with gusts to 55 knots, moving northwest at 4 knots, brushing the Northwest Florida coast but likely will not make direct landfall in Florida.
- Main impacts include gusty showers with tropical storm gusts to 35 or 40 mph, heavy rain from training storms, and building surf and rip current risks.
- Warnings issued: Tropical storm warnings, rip current warnings, small craft advisories, and heavy surf warnings for the Florida coast from Apalachicola to Alabama line, with peak waves at 12 feet.
- A frontal system over the Southern U.S. is expected to prevent serious strengthening; Bertha is not expected to become a hurricane (winds of 74 mph).
- Louisiana and Texas are in Bertha's crosshairs.
Tropical Storm Bertha, now centered about 110 miles south of Panama City, is moving northwest at 4 knots, with sustained winds of 45 knots and gusts reaching 55 knots.123
The storm is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals around 6 inches through Thursday along the Gulf Coast, affecting areas from western Florida to southern Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.
“The main impacts across the northeast Gulf Coast will continue to revolve around bands of gusty showers with a brief tropical storm gust to 35 or 40 mph,” according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Tropical storm warnings, rip current warnings, and small craft advisories are in effect for the Florida coast from Apalachicola to the Alabama state line, as the Gulf sees peak waves of 12 feet.
A frontal system over the Southern U.S. is likely to inhibit Bertha's strengthening, with no upgrade to hurricane status expected, which requires winds of 74 mph.
Louisiana and Texas are also in Bertha's path, as the storm continues to impact the Gulf Coast region.
“Bertha has sustained winds of 45 knots with gusts to 55 knots and is moving northwest at 4 knots; a frontal system is expected to prevent it from becoming a hurricane. Warnings including tropical storm, rip current, and small craft advisories are in effect for Florida's Gulf Coast from Apalachicola to Alabama, with peak waves of 12 feet.”
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