Tropical Storm Bertha was a very disorganized system that attempted to bring rain and gusty winds to much of the Gulf Coast in late July. The sheared storm brought relatively few impacts despite two landfalls along its unusual westward track in the northern Gulf.

Bertha's history

The National Hurricane Center issued its first advisory on T.D. Two late morning on July 19 as it was centered south of Panama City, Florida.

A Hurricane Hunter mission found sustained winds of 40 mph the following evening, making the system Tropical Storm Bertha – the second storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

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Bertha's winds peaked at 60 mph by evening on July 21, before beginning its weakening trend. Gusts from 40 to 50 mph were clocked in Apalachicola (46 mph) and Panama City (41 mph)

Tropical Storm Bertha made its first landfall near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area in St. Bernard Parish Wednesday afternoon, July 22.

A peak gust of 63 mph was reported in Venice, Louisiana.

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A wind gust of 41 mph was reported on Dauphin Island, Alabama, that afternoon. Some gusts to near 50 mph were clocked in Pensacola, Florida.

Generally, from 2 to 3 feet of coastal inundation was recorded by gauges from Pensacola, Florida, to the immediate Gulf Coast locations in southeast Louisiana. Shell Beach reached a peak water rise of 3.0 feet.

Gusts to 30 mph were reported by the National Weather Service in Houston, with widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 5 inches and isolated totals over 5 inches confirmed.

There were reports of cars stuck in floodwaters in Sugar Land, Texas, just outside of Houston. Water caused impassable roads and road closures near Highway 59.