"Tropical Storm Bertha strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday but was expected to weaken as it chugs closer to the U.S., potentially bringing coastal flooding and heavy rain from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana.
Those areas along the northern Gulf Coast were under a tropical storm warning through Wednesday and could see rain and flooding into Thursday morning, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. New Orleans also was under a tropical storm warning.
The storm was about 105 miles (170 kilometers) southwest of Panama City, Florida, and roughly the same distance southeast of Mobile, Alabama. It was moving slowly to the northwest Tuesday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph), the hurricane center said Tuesday. Gradual weakening was forecast through Friday.
Bertha was forecast to make landfall Wednesday night somewhere in the coastal and lightly populated part of Louisiana southeast of New Orleans, said Michael Buchanan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Louisiana."
John Seewer reports for the Associated Press July 21, 2026.
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