Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall on the southern tip of Louisiana on Wednesday, bringing threatening winds and storm surge potential to the Deep South.
The storm came ashore in St. Bernard Parish, located approximately 40 miles east of New Orleans and 45 miles southwest of Biloxi, Mississippi, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.
Tropical storm force winds from Bertha extended over 100 miles from the storm's center, the National Hurricane Center reported. Beaches had been closed along the coast from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi in anticipation of the storm's arrival. A tropical storm warning was in effect for areas including New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.
Forecasters anticipated damaging winds and storm surge up to 3 feet in Louisiana, along with heavy rainfall in some locales. Bertha was expected to weaken as it moved toward Texas after passing the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, and Mississippi.
