Tropical Storm Bertha to make second U.S. landfall in Texas

Tropical Storm Bertha is poised to make a second landfall in the United States, this time in Texas, between Thursday and Friday. The storm has been tracking across southern Louisiana, prompting Governor Jeff Landry to declare a state of emergency, despite minimal reported damage.

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The good news is that the storm will probably not produce the kind of rain or wind that an event like this could cause.

Bertha, which initially made landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday before returning to sea, is now moving toward Texas. Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) predict it may enter Texas as a tropical storm or depression before dissipating over the weekend. The NHC's latest bulletin indicates Bertha's center will move near or along the coasts of Louisiana and the upper Texas coast through Thursday afternoon before moving further inland overnight.

The storm, which formed on Monday, was located approximately 145 miles west of New Orleans with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, moving west at 13 mph. The NHC anticipates Bertha could dump up to 6 inches of rain along the Texas coast, leading to isolated flash flooding, particularly in urban settings. Additionally, the storm is expected to generate life-threatening surf conditions and rip currents.

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may produce isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas

Bertha is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. Earlier, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revised its hurricane season forecast downward, predicting nine storms due to the strengthening El Niño phenomenon.

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cause surf and rip current conditions that are life-threatening