Tropical Storm Bertha set to make a 2nd Gulf Coast landfall
Tropical storm Bertha is on track to make it second landfall on the Gulf Coast in two days, aiming for Texas on Thursday after moving ashore Wednesday in southeast Louisiana.
As of 8 a.m. ET on Thursday, Bertha's eye was back in the Gulf, about 70 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and was moving west at 13 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Maximum sustained winds near the center are around 45 mph. Wind gusts of 40 mph were buffeting parts of the Louisiana coast on Thursday morning.
Bertha is expected to maintain its current strength as it makes landfall again along the Texas coast later Thursday, possibly in the Galveston and Brazosport areas.
After making landfall, Bertha is expected to dissipate quickly, though up to 3 feet of storm surge is 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 over the next few days, likely causing life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
The Corpus Christi, Texas, area could see the most rain from Bertha, with 1 to 3 inches possible through Friday.
