The U.S. Gulf Coast is bracing for Tropical Storm Bertha, as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns of a possible “life-threatening storm surge” to come.
Tropical Storm Bertha, upgraded on Monday, stands as only the second named storm in the Atlantic hurricane season, which formally kicked off June 1.
The NHC said the storm is expected to bring “tropical storm conditions to portions of the Gulf Coast from Alabama westward to southeastern Louisiana tonight and Wednesday, where a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect.”
However, tropical storm conditions are also “possible” for other areas, including the Florida Panhandle, Metro New Orleans, and the southern Gulf Coast of Louisiana, according to NHC. There is also the possibility of a “life-threatening” storm surge in areas including the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, and a portion of Louisiana.
Texas could also be in play, NHC adds, urging those in the surrounding area to monitor the storm.
Flash flooding is also a possibility in the area spanning from Florida’s Big Bend to Louisiana.
“As of early Tuesday morning, thunderstorms associated with Bertha remained spread over several hundred miles, with most of the activity over the Gulf,” AccuWeather reported.
AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva noted that if the storm continues to hug the coast, it would result in a weaker storm in terms of wind. That, however, would result in an increase in heavy rainfall.
A tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph, meaning areas in its path can expect that. Current forecasts show tropical storm-force winds reaching areas of the Florida Panhandle as early as Tuesday around 2:00 p.m., with Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana seeing such winds later that day into Wednesday.
Atlantic hurricane season ends November 30.
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