Tropical Storm Bertha is moving erratically toward the Florida Panhandle, carrying the threat of heavy rain, storm surge, and damaging winds. The storm, located in the Gulf of Mexico, was about 110 miles south of Panama City, Florida, as of Monday evening. Its sustained winds were around 40 mph, with forecasters expecting some strengthening as it approaches land.
Bertha, the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is generally moving west-northwest at about 3 mph. It is expected to make a more northwesterly turn toward the coast early Tuesday, affecting coastal areas of northern Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Some areas could experience 3 to 5 inches of rainfall, with higher amounts possible in scattered locations, and flash flooding is possible through Friday along the coast from western Florida to middle Texas.
A tropical storm watch is in effect from the Ochlockonee River in Florida westward to the border of Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes in Louisiana. A storm surge watch has also been issued from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Alabama-Florida border. Forecasters warn of potentially life-threatening storm surges up to four feet along portions of the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines and the possibility of isolated tornadoes over Florida's Big Bend region.
Meanwhile, far to the west, Hurricane Fausto formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean. As of Monday night, Fausto was located far from Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and was not an immediate threat to land. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving west-northwest at 9 mph. While no coastal watches or warnings are in effect for Fausto, ocean swells generated by the storm could impact the Baja California coast, bringing potentially life-threatening surf and rip tide conditions.