Tropical Storm Bertha: Tracking Map Shows Which Homeowners Are in the Storm’s Path

by Dina Sartore-Bodo

A tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Bertha on Monday evening, leaving homeowners living in the Gulf preparing for extreme weather Tuesday morning.

The National Hurricane Center announced that Tropical Storm Bertha was picking up steam about 110 miles south-southwest of Panama City, FL, moving northwest at about 5 mph, with maximum sustained winds at about 50 mph.

As the storm continues its approach toward the Gulf Coast, a broad array of tropical storm warnings, watches, and storm surge alerts stretching from the Florida Panhandle across to southern Louisiana have been put into effect.

Tracking Tropical Storm Bertha

According to the NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft, which is tracking the storm, Bertha’s center is positioned roughly 100 miles south-southwest of Panama City, FL, and 175 miles southeast of Mobile, AL.

The system is expected to maintain a slow northwestward to west-northwestward motion today before turning west by mid-week, tracking directly along or near the northern Gulf coastline over the coming days.

Tropical Storm Bertha Public Advisory map — Tropical Storm Bertha is being tracked and investigated by the NOAA Hurricane Hunter Aircraft (NOAA)

Key messages for Tropical Storm Bertha from NOAA (NOAA)

Tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours for these parts of Alabama and Florida, as well as the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish border in Louisiana. A tropical storm watch was in effect for New Orleans as of Tuesday morning.

Additionally, the NOAA has put a Storm Surge Watch in place from the Alabama/Florida border to the Mouth of the Mississippi River, where water inundation could reach 2 to 4 feet above ground level. Coastal surge heights of 1 to 3 feet are projected for the Florida coastline, from Indian Pass down to Chassahowitzka as well as the Louisiana coastline, from Morgan City to the mouth of the Mississippi River, including Lake Pontchartrain.

Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches—with isolated totals up to 6 inches—are expected through Thursday, presenting a distinct threat of urban flash flooding across these communities.

"How much the storm organizes over the northern Gulf this week will determine both its track and where the heaviest rainfall falls," AccuWeather Meteorologist Breanna Grill said in their forecast.

"A 'hug-the-coast' scenario would keep overall winds weaker," Lead Hurricane expert Alex DaSilva added.

"However, heavy to flooding rainfall would increase along the central Gulf Coast before spreading inland as the storm loses wind intensity."

How homeowners can prepare

If you live in the Gulf area, preparing for a tropical storm like Bertha is all about taking stock of how your home will be impacted by wind damage and flooding.

Start by securing any outdoor features of your home—patio furniture, trash cans, etc.—by either anchoring them down or bringing them inside.

If you have time, check all of the surrounding trees on your property and trim them back to avoid problems with power lines or damage to your roof.

If your property is prone to localized flooding, place sandbags or water barriers across exterior doors, garage entrances, and basement thresholds.

Above all, have an escape plan in place, in case of a dangerous storm surge. Fully charge all cell phones, portable power banks, and battery-operated lanterns in case of an outage and fill up your vehicle's gas tank in case you need to move to higher ground.

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