Tropical Storm Bertha forecast to bring heavy rain, flooding along the Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Bertha has strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico but is expected to weaken as it nears the U.S. coast, with forecasters predicting heavy rain and coastal flooding from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana. Coastal areas along the northern Gulf Coast are under a tropical storm warning through Wednesday, with potential for rain and flooding extending into Thursday morning.

Bertha was located about 105 miles (170 kilometers) southwest of Panama City, Florida, and roughly the same distance southeast of Mobile, Alabama, moving slowly northwest with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph). Gradual weakening is forecast through Friday. Forecasters expect landfall Wednesday night in a lightly populated coastal area of Louisiana, southeast of New Orleans, where wind is anticipated to be the biggest threat.

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For locals, this is just another storm. When you're on vacation and its raining, you either shop or you go out to eat.

Authorities in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida have opened sites to distribute sandbags to residents. Red flag warnings are posted along some beaches, cautioning swimmers about dangerous rip currents, and double red flags indicate that Gulf waters are closed for swimming. Beaches near Pensacola, Florida, were mostly deserted, with tourists venturing out to photograph the rough surf.

Forecasts predict 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of rain from western Florida to southern Louisiana, with higher amounts possible in scattered areas, potentially causing flash flooding in urban areas. Storm surges of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) are possible along the Louisiana coast from the Mississippi River mouth to the Alabama-Mississippi state line, with smaller surges expected in parts of Florida and Alabama. Bertha is the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Arthur last month.

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It's possible that the worst of the storm will stay offshore