Tropical Storm Bertha Hits Louisiana With 45 mph Winds as Warnings Extend Toward Texas
Updated
Updated · Fox Weather · Jul 22
Tropical Storm Bertha Hits Louisiana With 45 mph Winds as Warnings Extend Toward Texas
3 articles · Updated · Fox Weather · Jul 22
Summary
Bertha came ashore in St. Bernard Parish at 2 p.m. CDT with 45 mph sustained winds, becoming the first landfalling storm of the 2026 Atlantic season.
The center was about 25 miles southeast of New Orleans by the 5 p.m. ET advisory, moving west at 7 mph as the National Hurricane Center projected it to track near the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts through Thursday.
Tropical Storm Warnings were extended west to Cameron, Louisiana, while watches ran from west of Cameron to Sargent, Texas; forecasters said Bertha could briefly reorganize over the Gulf before a second Texas landfall.
Louisiana officials said 30,000 sandbags were distributed in Orleans Parish and more than 90% of major drainage pumps were operational, even as Gov. Jeff Landry warned a tropical storm can still cause major damage.
Bertha is only the 10th tropical cyclone to make Louisiana landfall in July since records began in 1850, while heavy rain, gusty winds and coastal flooding continued across the northern Gulf Coast.
Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in Louisiana on July 22, 2026, entering as a weakening system due to strong wind shear and dry air at mid-levels. These atmospheric conditions significantly limited Bertha’s intensification, so the National Hurricane Center did not expect the storm to strengthen further. As a result, much of Bertha’s worst weather stayed offshore, sparing Louisiana from major flooding. On the day of landfall, southern Louisiana faced both tropical storm and extreme heat warnings, creating a rare and challenging situation for residents and emergency responders.