Tropical Storm Bertha made a second landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border at 2:00 p.m. EDT Thursday, bringing heavy rain, gusty winds, and coastal flooding to the western Gulf Coast.
The landfall came less than 24 hours after the storm first reached land at St. Bernard Parish in southeastern Louisiana on Wednesday. At the time of its second landfall, Bertha maintained maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva reported that the storm’s main impact will be heavy rainfall along the Gulf Coast stretching from southern Louisiana to eastern Texas. Coastal areas in Texas are expected to receive 2 to 4 inches of rain, with higher amounts in localized spots.
Rainfall may also move inland toward central and southern Texas, including the Texas Hill Country, where forecasts estimate 1 to 2 inches of rain.
Data collected Thursday morning by Hurricane Hunter aircraft showed that the storm’s center had become elongated along the coast of southwestern Louisiana. Observations revealed that Bertha remains an asymmetrical storm, with the majority of its rain and thunderstorm activity positioned more than 100 miles southwest of its center of circulation.
Locally gusty winds could knock down trees and power lines, while storm surge and dangerous surf threaten coastal areas. Because of the combined impacts, Bertha is rated less than one on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in both the United States and Mexico. The storm is expected to preserve tropical-storm strength into Thursday night.
Beyond rainfall and wind threats, storm surge and high surf have caused significant loss to sea turtle habitats across the Southeast coast.
The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol reported that only four out of 22 monitored nests survived the storm surge and beach erosion in their area. On Alligator Point, Florida, every monitored nest was washed out or submerged by water.
“We’re heartbroken,” the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol wrote on Facebook, explaining that eggs can suffocate when water fills the nest chamber.
On St. George Island, coastal flooding washed away several nests, though volunteers were able to rescue hatchlings on Wednesday and discovered two new nests.
The damage follows a strong start to the regional nesting season. Hilton Head Island recorded 400 nests by July 22, approaching its 2019 record of 464 nests. Additionally, Florida reported over 94,000 loggerhead nests as of June 30, and Virginia logged its first-ever recorded leatherback sea turtle nest.
READ: Federal Grand Jury Indicts California Man On Sex Trafficking And Fraud Charges In Maine Case
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
