Tropical Storm Bertha has begun making landfall along the US Gulf Coast as millions are warned of potential flooding and power outages over the coming hours. AccuWeather reported that Bertha began impacting the Louisiana coast near the eastern portion of St. Bernard Parish at around 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Bertha, which currently has sustained winds of 50 mph, is expected to move across southeastern Louisiana at tropical storm strength throughout the day. However, forecasters warn the storm could strengthen if it remains over the warm waters of the Gulf as it tracks west. The AccuWeather team said: 'If the center shifts south or a new center develops over the Gulf, Bertha could begin to reorganize before reaching the Texas coast.' The National Weather Service has issued tropical storm warnings across a 500-mile stretch covering parts of the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Meteorologists expect Bertha to track close to the Gulf Coast, with the potential for multiple landfalls in Louisiana and Texas later this week. 

Major cities including New Orleans, Mobile, Biloxi and Houston are expected to be affected by Bertha, which is forecast to bring damaging wind gusts, several inches of rain, localized flooding and potentially dangerous storm surge along coastal areas. AccuWeather meteorologist Breanna Grill said: 'While the exact track of Bertha can still fluctuate over the next couple of days, heavy rainfall and hazardous marine conditions are expected regardless of the storm's path.' Up to eight inches of rain is forecast across parts of the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, raising the risk of flash flooding as Bertha approaches the coast. 

AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva warned that the longer the slow-moving storm lingers around the US coastline, the higher the chances are that it causes severe flooding and potentially life-threatening conditions. DaSilva said in a statement: 'Bertha may not be a major hurricane, but slow-moving tropical systems like this one can be just as disruptive.' 'For folks in Louisiana who are still recovering from Arthur, now is the time to check drainage around your property, avoid driving through standing water, and have a way to get updates if conditions change quickly,' the forecaster added. Louisiana has already activated its emergency operations center as the storm nears, with the Governor's Office urging: 'Check your emergency supplies.

Strong winds could result in power outages. Check on friends or loved ones who may need assistance.' Officials with NWS added that the risk for boaters and those living along the coast could be severe this week, with Bertha capable of capsizing and damaging vessels as it strengthens and moves west. Marinas along the Louisiana coast were largely deserted on Tuesday ahead of storm surges, where sea levels rise sharply, which are predicted to exceed three feet when Bertha reaches land. A second landfall is expected to strike the Texas coast late Thursday night into Friday morning, slamming into the upper Texas coast between Galveston and the Sabine River-Beaumont area.

The storm is expected to weakened by then, but is still predicted to bring heavy rain, gusty winds, coastal flooding and dangerous rip currents. Meteorologists noted that the Gulf may be spared a severe impact of the storm thanks to extreme wind shear blowing south from the northern US, which is slamming into Bertha and pushing thunderstorms away from the shore. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said: 'If Bertha were to remain over southern Louisiana and not make it back to the Gulf, much of its circulation could diminish prior to reaching Texas, and the storm would quickly transition from a tropical depression to a tropical rainstorm.'

Meteorologist Max Velocity added in a social media post Wednesday afternoon that Bertha was 'looking worse for wear today as thunderstorms continue to be blasted away from the center of circulation.' However, these winds may also push Bertha farther south, giving the relatively weak tropical storm a chance to regain its strength and form a bigger storm by using the warm waters of the Gulf as fuel. The last named storm to make landfall in the US was Tropical Storm Chantal in July 2025. The last named storm to strike Louisiana was Hurricane Francine in 2024.

At the same time as millions brace for a direct hit from Bertha, potentially deadly heat continues to grip the entire region in the path of the storm. An extreme heat warning has been issued across all of Louisiana, western Mississippi and eastern Texas. Temperatures are expected to rise into the upper 90s, with the heat index skyrocketing to 118 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat index is the 'feels like' temperature, which is hotter when the air is more humid. On a 90-degree day, high humidity can make the 'feels like' temperature reach 105°F. NWS issued a stark warning about the heat, stating: 'If you have AC, use it. Fans may not be adequate. Wear light-weight, light-colored clothing. Stay hydrated.'