Tropical Storm Bertha has intensified in the Gulf of Mexico and is currently making its way slowly towards the Florida Panhandle and Alabama, prompting meteorologists to issue a tropical storm warning along with storm surge watches.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the storm was located approximately 125 miles (201 km) southeast of Mobile, Alabama, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) based in Miami. It is tracking northwestward at a speed of 5 mph (8 km/h) and boasts maximum sustained winds reaching 60 mph.
Since its formation on Monday evening, Bertha’s wind speed has increased by 20 mph. A tropical storm warning has been declared for the area stretching from the Florida-Alabama border to the line between Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes in Louisiana, indicating that adverse conditions are anticipated within the next 36 hours.
Additionally, a storm surge watch has been issued from the Florida-Alabama border extending to the mouth of the Mississippi River, signaling the potential for life-threatening water levels to rise inland within the next 48 hours, as reported by the NHC.
Bertha marks the second tropical storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Arthur, which caused significant rainfall in the southeastern United States in June.
The storm is projected to remain near or along the northern Gulf Coast, delivering heavy rainfall to the coastal regions of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, while also moving west towards Texas.
Life-threatening storm surges of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) could impact parts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida, with the NHC cautioning that Bertha might generate isolated tornadoes in the Florida Big Bend area.
Forecasters warned that flash flooding risks could persist through Friday along the coastline from western Florida to central Texas. Rainfall amounts may range from 3 to 5 inches (7 to 12 cm) along the Louisiana shoreline, with some areas possibly experiencing even higher totals.
In Orange Beach, Alabama, beach safety flags have been raised to alert swimmers about hazardous surf and strong currents. Emergency services in Escambia County, Florida, have made sand available for residents in flood-prone areas to create sandbags.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Fausto is currently swirling far from Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, presenting no immediate threat to land, according to the NHC.
Having reached hurricane status on Monday night, Fausto is situated around 740 miles southwest of the Baja California peninsula’s southern tip, featuring top sustained winds of 80 mph and moving northwest at 12 mph. The storm is anticipated to strengthen further on Tuesday and Wednesday. Although there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, the ocean swells generated by Fausto could lead to dangerous surf and rip tide conditions along the Baja California coast, as noted by the NHC.
This report includes contributions from Guardian staff.
