Remnants of Bertha fuel East Coast flood threat after landfall
Remnants of Bertha continue to drive a serious flood threat across the eastern United States even after the storm weakened to a tropical depression near Houston. Moisture from the former tropical system is feeding soaking rain along a cold front from the Carolinas into northern Georgia and Alabama through Friday, according to CNN Weather.
Key Takeaways
- Bertha weakened to a tropical depression Thursday evening about 10 miles north-northeast of Houston, CNN reported.
- A moisture plume linked to Bertha is fueling flooding rain along a cold front across the Southeast.
- The storm made a second Gulf Coast landfall near the Texas-Louisiana line with 45 mph sustained winds, per the National Hurricane Center via KSL News.
- A Level 2 of 4 flooding rain risk stretches from the Carolinas into northern Alabama through Friday morning.
- No deaths or significant damage have been reported since Bertha formed in the Gulf of Mexico.
What happened to Tropical Storm Bertha?
Tropical Storm Bertha made a second landfall Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana state line after earlier striking Louisiana southwest of New Orleans, KSL News reported, citing the National Hurricane Center.
The center moved inland about 75 miles northeast of Galveston, Texas, still packing sustained winds of 45 mph. Forecasters expected rapid weakening over inland Texas.
By Thursday evening, CNN said Bertha had weakened to a depression 10 miles north-northeast of Houston while still bringing rain to parts of eastern Texas.
Where do remnants of Bertha pose the biggest flood risk?
CNN Weather said the most widespread flooding rain threat is unfolding hundreds of miles east of the center. A plume of tropical moisture linked to Bertha is feeding soaking rain along a cold front draped across the Southeast.
That moisture is expected to fuel a flooding rainfall threat through Friday from North and South Carolina to northern parts of Georgia and Alabama. Some areas in North Carolina have already received a month's worth of rain in just a few days.
A Level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rain was in place from parts of the Carolinas westward to northern Alabama. Cities at risk include Atlanta, Birmingham, and Charlotte, where Thursday afternoon thunderstorms could pack rainfall rates up to 2 inches per hour.
Why does the East Coast flood threat matter more than the storm center?
Heavy rain Thursday morning prompted flash flood warnings in southeast Virginia, eastern North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Flooding briefly closed a short section of Interstate 40 northwest of Durham, North Carolina, that later reopened, the state Department of Transportation said.
Near the remnant center, CNN said eastern Texas could still see 1 to 3 inches of rain, with isolated totals of 4 inches, and isolated flash flooding possible. Dry ground conditions should help limit a bigger threat there.
Along the Gulf Coast, KSL reported no deaths or significant damage since Bertha formed Monday south of the Florida Panhandle. Coastal flooding occurred with the first Louisiana landfall, while the heaviest rains initially stayed over Gulf waters.
Bertha was the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. For more alerts coverage, see Fintech & Crypto Alerts on BlasterPost.