Tropical Storm Bertha Fades But Fuels Serious East Coast Flood Threat

Tropical Storm Bertha has made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, on Wednesday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of approximately 45-50 mph. While the storm is forecast to weaken as it moves westward across southern Louisiana and towards Texas, it has brought gusty winds, coastal flooding, and dangerous beach conditions to the northern Gulf Coast.

Despite dissipating over the Gulf Coast, Bertha's moisture plume is significantly contributing to a serious flood threat along the U.S. East Coast. This tropical moisture is interacting with a stalled cold front, leading to heavy rainfall, severe thunderstorms, and the potential for flash flooding across areas including southeastern Virginia, parts of the Carolinas, and northern Georgia. The continued influx of moisture is expected to elevate flood risks in these regions through the end of the week.