Tropical Storm Bertha heads toward Texas after making landfall in Louisiana
Up to 3 feet of storm surge could be possible in parts of Louisiana and Texas.
Tropical storm Bertha made landfall in southeast Louisiana on Wednesday afternoon and is now back over the ocean, approximately 95 miles southeast of Lake Charles as of 5 a.m. ET Thursday morning
Winds near the center are sustained at 45 mph as Bertha is moving west at 13 mph with wind gusting over 40 mph along parts of the Louisiana coast this morning.
Bertha is expected to hold its current strength as it makes landfall along the Texas coast on Thursday while a tropical storm warning is in place from southern Louisiana along the Texas coast to Brazosport, including Galveston.
After landfall, Bertha is expected to dissipate quickly, though up to 3 feet of storm surge could be possible from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana to Port Bolivar, Texas.
Swells generated by Bertha will continue spreading westward along the northern Gulf Coast during the next few days and these swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
The Corpus Christi area could see the most rain from Bertha, with 1 to 4 inches possible through Thursday night.