Tropical Storm Bertha landfall brought the system inland near the Texas-Louisiana border Thursday afternoon after it had already crossed southeastern Louisiana, spreading rain, gusty winds and coastal flooding threats across the northern Gulf Coast. Bertha remained a tropical storm as it entered eastern Texas, but forecasters expected it to weaken quickly and dissipate by Friday.
At 4 p.m. CDT Thursday, the center of Bertha was about 35 miles north of Galveston, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and higher gusts. The storm was moving west-northwest at 13 mph with a minimum central pressure of 1006 millibars, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm’s second landfall occurred roughly 75 miles northeast of Galveston near the Texas-Louisiana state line. Bertha had first made landfall Wednesday in Louisiana’s St. Bernard Parish, southeast of New Orleans, before moving back near Gulf waters and continuing westward along the coast.
Tropical Storm Bertha Landfall Brings Rain to East Texas
Bertha’s center was forecast to cross portions of eastern Texas through Thursday evening while gradually increasing its forward speed. The storm was expected to weaken below tropical-storm strength and dissipate either Thursday night or Friday as its circulation moved farther inland.
Tropical-storm-force winds extended as far as 140 miles south of the center during the afternoon advisory. That broad wind field allowed gusty conditions, elevated coastal water and dangerous surf to affect communities far from Bertha’s relatively weak center.
The storm’s heaviest rain had remained over Gulf waters during portions of its slow movement along Louisiana. Rain bands began pushing into southeastern Texas on Thursday, increasing the possibility of localized flooding as the storm crossed the coast and moved inland.
No deaths or significant structural damage had been reported as of Thursday afternoon. Bertha nevertheless produced coastal flooding in Louisiana and left several communities managing damaged roads, beach facilities and hazardous surf conditions.
Coastal Warnings Remain in Texas and Louisiana
A tropical storm warning remained in effect from the Vermilion-Cameron Parish line in Louisiana to Sargent, Texas. The warning meant tropical-storm conditions were expected somewhere within that stretch of coastline, while warnings east of the parish line were discontinued as Bertha moved west.
The National Hurricane Center forecast rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches through Thursday night along the Texas Gulf Coast and South Texas, with isolated amounts reaching 4 inches. Forecasters warned that the rainfall could produce localized flash flooding, particularly in urban areas where drainage systems can be overwhelmed quickly.
Water levels were expected to remain elevated along parts of the Louisiana and Texas coasts through the next high-tide cycle before gradually subsiding. Swells generated by Bertha were also forecast to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents through Thursday night, creating continued danger even after the center moved inland.
Residents near the coast should continue following local National Weather Service warnings rather than relying only on the storm’s classification. Tropical storms can produce flooding, dangerous currents and power outages well outside the center, and rapidly changing local conditions may require road closures or emergency instructions.
Bertha Crossed Louisiana Before Turning Toward Texas
Bertha formed Monday in the Gulf and initially approached the coast from south of the Florida Panhandle. Its slow westward movement brought strong surf and tropical-storm conditions from Florida and Alabama through Mississippi and Louisiana before the center reached Texas.
The first Tropical Storm Bertha landfall occurred Wednesday in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, with sustained winds near 45 mph. The storm then remained close enough to the warm Gulf waters to preserve its tropical circulation as it traveled west near the Louisiana coast.
The unusual coast-hugging track meant Bertha affected a long section of the Gulf without strengthening into a hurricane. Dry air, wind shear and interaction with land prevented significant intensification, although the broad circulation continued to push water toward beaches and generate rain bands far from the center.
Bertha was the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arthur, the season’s first named system, made landfall along the Texas Gulf Coast in June and brought heavy rainfall to parts of the southeastern United States.
Damage Appears Limited Across Much of the Gulf Coast
Galveston officials advised residents to secure outdoor furniture and other loose objects that could become airborne in strong gusts. The Galveston Historic Seaport canceled sightseeing boat tours Thursday afternoon, but many hotels, restaurants and businesses remained open as officials anticipated limited impacts.
Bertha caused more visible damage farther east during its passage along the Gulf Coast. Pensacola officials closed an area around a damaged beach boardwalk, while strong winds toppled a Waffle House sign onto a vehicle in Panama City Beach, Florida.
Power outages remained relatively limited across the region by Thursday afternoon. The lack of widespread outages or major structural damage reflected Bertha’s modest wind speeds, but coastal flooding and rip currents remained serious threats for residents and visitors near the water.
Local emergency officials should continue documenting damaged roads, drainage failures and beach erosion even after the storm weakens. Lower-intensity tropical systems can expose infrastructure weaknesses that become far more dangerous when a stronger hurricane reaches the same communities.
Offshore Energy Operations Take Precautions
Bertha’s path crossed a Gulf region containing major offshore oil and natural gas operations as well as a refining corridor stretching from Texas to Mississippi. A private forecasting model estimated that as much as 1.5 million barrels of Gulf oil production could be affected over the duration of the storm, although that projection represented potential disruption rather than confirmed lost output.
Chevron shut production at its Petronius facility and evacuated personnel as a precaution. BP also removed some nonessential workers from the Thunder Horse and Na Kika platforms while operators monitored Bertha’s movement through the northern Gulf.
Federal Gulf waters produced nearly 2 million barrels of crude oil per day in March, accounting for roughly 14% of total U.S. production. Even a relatively weak tropical storm can therefore interrupt operations when companies must move personnel, shut equipment or delay offshore work for safety reasons.
Those precautions are preferable to leaving crews exposed to unpredictable weather at sea. Energy operators should restore production only after confirming that platforms, pipelines and transportation systems can operate safely.
Bertha Expected to Dissipate by Friday
Bertha’s forward motion was expected to carry the circulation deeper into eastern Texas Thursday night. Continued interaction with land would remove the storm’s access to warm Gulf water, causing its winds and organized thunderstorms to weaken rapidly.
The end of Bertha’s tropical classification will not immediately eliminate every hazard. Heavy showers can continue after a storm weakens, while saturated roads, elevated waterways and dangerous coastal currents may persist after winds fall below tropical-storm strength.
Residents should avoid flooded streets because water depth and road damage can be difficult to judge, particularly at night. Drivers should also respect barricades and monitor local weather alerts as the remaining rain moves west across Texas.
The Tropical Storm Bertha landfall produced a long but comparatively limited journey along the Gulf Coast, with two landfalls and weather effects stretching from Florida to Texas. The storm is now weakening, but coastal communities still face several hours of rain, rough surf and localized flooding before conditions fully improve.
