Bertha update: Louisiana landfall as floods hit East
Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, on July 22 with 45 mph winds—the first landfall of the 2026 Atlantic season. A Bertha update on July 23 shows the storm crawling west toward Texas with flash-flood risk along the Gulf Coast, while separate heavy rain floods parts of Virginia and the Carolinas.
Key Takeaways
- Bertha came ashore in St. Bernard Parish at 2 p.m. CT July 22 with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
- The National Hurricane Center expects the center to straddle the Louisiana coast, then reach the upper Texas coast Thursday evening or night before dissipating over Texas.
- Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated totals near 6 inches, may bring flash flooding along the Texas Gulf Coast.
- A separate flash-flood threat is hitting southern Virginia and expanding into North Carolina as a slow-moving front dumps heavy rain.
- Forecasters do not expect Bertha to become a hurricane, though warm Atlantic waters keep seasonal risk high.
Live weather desks and TV alerts are tracking Bertha in real time. For more breaking coverage and watch alerts, follow BlasterPost’s Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
Where did Tropical Storm Bertha make landfall?
According to FOX Weather, Bertha officially made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area at 2 p.m. CT on July 22.
It is the first storm to make landfall in the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season and the first named storm to hit Louisiana since Hurricane Francine in September 2024. FOX Weather noted it is only the 10th tropical cyclone landfall in Louisiana during July since records began in 1850.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the state had prepared extensively, distributing 30,000 sandbags in Orleans Parish and keeping more than 90% of major drainage pumps operational. “It doesn’t take a major hurricane to do major damage,” he said, urging residents not to grow complacent.
What is the latest Bertha update for Texas and the Gulf Coast?
USA Today reported that as of 5 a.m. ET on July 23, Bertha’s center was about 95 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, moving west at 13 mph with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph.
The National Hurricane Center said the center is likely to straddle the Louisiana coast through Thursday and reach the upper Texas coast by Thursday evening or night. The storm should maintain tropical-storm strength until then, then dissipate over inland Texas by Thursday night or Friday.
Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 160 miles southeast of the center. Expected rainfall is 2 to 4 inches through Thursday along the Texas Gulf Coast and South Texas, with isolated amounts near 6 inches and a risk of urban flash flooding. Wind shear has kept Bertha lopsided and limited intensification.
Why are Virginia and the Carolinas seeing flooding now?
FOX Weather’s live coverage also flagged a dangerous flash-flood threat across southern Virginia expanding into North Carolina, driven by a slow-moving front and already saturated soils—not by Bertha’s Gulf track. Torrential downpours can drop several inches per hour, overwhelm drainage, and create life-threatening street flooding.
NPR reported Bertha is the season’s second named storm and is not expected to strengthen into a hurricane. Seasonal outlooks from the National Hurricane Center and Colorado State University point to fewer storms than average amid a strong El Niño, but unusually warm Atlantic waters still raise the odds of destructive systems. Officials urge the same level of hurricane-season readiness as any other year.