Tropical Storm Bertha Forms in Gulf, Moves Slowly Toward Northern Coast

Tropical Storm Bertha formed Monday evening in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The system is the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. As of early Tuesday the center sat at 28.4 degrees north, 86.1 degrees west, about 125 miles south of Panama City, Florida, the National Hurricane Center said.

Maximum sustained winds measured 50 mph while the storm moved northwest at 2 mph. The National Hurricane Center issued a storm surge watch from the Alabama-Florida border westward to the mouth of the Mississippi River for the weak tropical storm. Tropical storm warnings cover the same stretch westward to the Jefferson-Plaquemines Parish line in Louisiana.

Watches also remain in effect for parts of the Florida Panhandle, metropolitan New Orleans and additional Louisiana coastal sections. A storm surge of 2 to 4 feet above normally dry ground is possible from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama-Florida border if the surge coincides with high tide.

The BBC reported a storm surge of 1 to 4 feet is expected along parts of the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines.

Widespread rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is forecast from western Florida to Texas through Friday, with isolated totals up to 8 inches. Flash flooding is possible in urban and low-lying areas. Isolated tornadoes could occur across Florida's Big Bend and portions of the northern Gulf Coast through Wednesday.

Forecasters expect the center to reach southeastern Louisiana by late Wednesday before drifting westward along the northern Gulf Coast. The storm is projected to remain a tropical storm, weaken to a depression by Thursday and possibly dissipate near the Texas coast by the end of the week.

Hurricane Fausto strengthened Monday night about 745 miles southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula with 75 mph winds but poses no immediate coastal threat.