Bertha weakens to tropical depression hours after 2nd landfall, NHC says

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Jul 23, 2026

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Tropical Storm Bertha made its second landfall in two days after skirting Louisiana’s Gulf Coast and coming ashore near the border with Texas on Thursday, then weakened to a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The system made its first landfall Wednesday at 3 p.m. EDT with 45 mph sustained winds in St. Bernard Parish near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area, then passed south of New Orleans before moving back out over the water.

By 2 p.m. Thursday, the center of Bertha had moved inland again still with 45 mph sustained winds. As of 5 p.m., the system was still a tropical storm with 40 mph sustained winds, which is just over the threshold of a tropical depression.

In its 8 p.m. advisory, the NHC said Bertha had weakened to a tropical depression and discontinued all tropical storm warnings. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect. The system was located 10 miles north-northeast of Houston, Texas, moving west at 13 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph.

“Additional weakening is expected, and Bertha is likely to dissipate tonight,” forecasters said.

Much of the rain, though, was situated to the south in the Gulf. It ultimately caused a delay in a SpaceX Starship launch attempt from its Starbase, Texas, site near the Mexican border that had been slated for Thursday night.

The storm’s intensity had diminished since Tuesday, when it had sustained winds of up to 60 mph.

The storm grew out of what had been the second tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season, forming Monday.

For now, tropical-storm conditions continue to spread across portions of the Louisiana and Texas coasts.

Rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches with some areas getting up to 4 inches are forecast through Thursday night along the Texas Gulf Coast and South Texas that could produce isolated flash flooding.

Swells along the coast could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions through Thursday night.

Short-lived Tropical Storm Arthur was the season’s first named storm that developed in the Gulf and brought floods to Texas and Louisiana in June.

Cristobal is the next name on the hurricane season list followed by Dolly.

The season officially began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. The height of hurricane season runs from mid-August into October.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects this season to be below normal with the official forecast released in late May calling for 8-14 named storms, of which 3-6 would become hurricanes. Of those, 1-3 would become major hurricanes reaching Category 3 status or above.

An average season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

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