Tropical Storm Bertha slammed into Louisiana's Gulf Coast on Wednesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain, coastal flooding, and gusty winds.
Tropical storm warnings have since been issued for parts of the Florida Panhandle westward into Louisiana.
Bertha is a relatively weak tropical storm well below hurricane strength, so widespread catastrophic wind damage is not expected.
But forecasters warned that flooding and coastal inundation would likely be the storm's biggest hazards. The surge could reach up to three feet along parts of the Louisiana and Alabama coasts. Rainfall totals of one to four inches were expected, with isolated areas potentially receiving even higher amounts.
According to Louisiana State Climatologist Jay Grymes, the storm will weaken steadily now that it has reached land and its impact should be manageable for coastal communities.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the forecast “encouraging” but also warned residents to be prepared for some flooding and the hurricane season in general.
Bertha is notable because tropical cyclone landfalls in Louisiana are relatively uncommon in July, well before the Atlantic hurricane season typically peaks in late August and September. The storm also arrived as parts of the Gulf Coast were under extreme heat warnings, an unusual overlap that left residents dealing with both dangerous heat and tropical storm conditions.
Much of southern Louisiana on Wednesday was under both tropical storm and extreme heat warnings—a rare combination, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). It was the first time the region had been under both warnings simultaneously in at least two decades, based on records dating back to 2005, NWS said.
Meanwhile, other parts of the United States are experiencing severe weather.
Torrential rainfall has caused dangerous flash flooding across parts of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky, while severe thunderstorms are affecting the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast. Additionally, extreme heat remains a major hazard across parts of Texas and the Southern Plains.