Tropical Storm Bertha weakens inland over Texas; 45 mph winds, 1-2 feet storm surge forecast

Tropical Storm Bertha was positioned 40 miles southwest of Lake Charles, Louisiana, at 1:00 PM CDT July 23, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and a minimum central pressure of 1004 mb, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was moving westward at 10 mph and is forecast to accelerate slightly in the coming hours.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles south of the storm's center, per the National Hurricane Center. A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for the Gulf Coast from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Sargent, Texas.

Storm surge combined with tide will cause normally dry areas near the immediate coast to be flooded, with heights of 1 to 2 feet forecast from Port Bolivar, Texas, to Port Fourchon, Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center. Bertha is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with isolated totals reaching 6 inches through Thursday night along the Texas Gulf Coast and South Texas. The National Hurricane Center warns that rainfall may produce isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas.

Swells generated by Bertha will continue spreading westward along the northern and northwestern Gulf Coast, likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, per the National Hurricane Center. On the forecast track, the center of Bertha is expected to move across portions of eastern Texas during the next several hours, according to the agency.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts that Bertha will gradually weaken and is expected to dissipate within a day or so.

The Bottom Line: Bertha's threat to coastal Texas and Louisiana is already diminishing as the system weakens inland. By Friday, the storm is forecast to dissipate, but the rainfall and storm surge impacts will persist through Thursday night, particularly along the immediate coast and in low-lying urban areas.