Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall for the second time near the Texas-Louisiana border after skirting southern Louisiana. Its slow movement caused strong waves and some flooding along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Meteorologists warn of more flooding as heavy rains move inland into southeastern Texas.
On Thursday afternoon, Bertha was inland, approximately 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of Galveston, Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Though still a tropical storm, its maximum sustained winds decreased to 65 km/h (40 mph). The storm is expected to weaken overnight.
Dense clouds from Bertha led SpaceX to cancel a planned Starship rocket launch on Thursday night at the southern tip of Texas. The test flight, which would reach near space, was rescheduled for Friday when clear skies are forecasted.
No fatalities or significant damages have been reported since Bertha’s formation on Monday in the Gulf of Mexico south of Florida. The storm caused some coastal flooding when it first made landfall in Louisiana, southwest of New Orleans. However, the heaviest rains remained over the Gulf waters.
The rains south of the storm’s center began moving inland Thursday along the southeastern Texas coast. A tropical storm warning was in effect from Sargent, Texas, to the border between Vermilion and Cameron counties in Louisiana.
The hurricane center noted that Bertha could still produce storm surges up to 60 centimeters (2 feet) along the coast and isolated flash flooding from heavy rains in the coastal and southern Texas regions. Tropical storm-force winds extended up to 225 kilometers (140 miles) from the storm’s center, but experts predict that the storm will weaken as it moves over Texas’ interior, dissipating by Friday.
In Galveston, a city with 53,000 residents southeast of Houston, local officials advised residents to prepare for windy conditions and secure outdoor items. The Galveston Historic Seaport canceled its boat tours on Thursday as a precaution but continued normal operations. Jesi Hahn, an employee, stated, “We will definitely be open. We usually close with larger hurricanes.”
At nearby Harbor House Hotel and Marina, employee Justin Timber reported no cancellations. “It feels like a normal day,” he said. “Restaurants are full. Everything is great.”
In Florida, minor damage occurred. Authorities in Pensacola closed an area around a pier damaged by the storm, Mayor D.C. Reeves announced on Facebook, sharing a photo of the affected structure. In Panama City Beach, Waffle House signage fell onto a car due to strong winds. Warnings kept swimmers out of the Gulf of Mexico waters due to strong waves and rip currents.
Bertha is the second Atlantic hurricane season’s tropical storm. Tropical Storm Arthur brought heavy rains to the southeastern United States in June. Meanwhile, Hurricane Fausto in the eastern Pacific was far from land, over 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) southwest of Baja California, with winds at 130 km/h (80 mph). The hurricane center noted that Fausto could generate strong waves and potentially deadly rip currents along parts of southern California.
Reporters from Savannah, Georgia, and Atlanta contributed to this report, with Marcia Dunn from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This story was translated from English by an AP editor using generative artificial intelligence.