Tropical Storm Bertha, the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, is expected to form on Monday, threatening to bring heavy rain and the possibility of flash flooding along the northern Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas.
The National Hurricane Center said that system — currently known as Tropical Depression Two — had strengthened over the warm waters of the Gulf, triggering tropical storm and storm surge watches from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana. Its winds are expected to reach the tropical storm threshold of 39 mph later Tuesday.
The season’s first named storm — Tropical Storm Arthur — brought heavy rain and flash flooding to parts of southern Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi last month.
Where is the storm now, and what is its path?
According to the hurricane center’s latest advisory, as of 5 p.m. ET on Monday:
The storm was located about 105 miles south of Panama City, Fla., and about 195 miles southeast of Mobile, Ala.
It has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph
It is moving northwest at 3 mph
NHC forecasters said the system was “moving erratically toward the northwest.” It is expected to slowly turn west over the next day or so and move near or along the northern Gulf Coast over the next several days, potentially making landfall in southeast Louisiana by midweek.
Watches and warnings in effect
A tropical storm watch is in effect for:
The Ochlockonee River in Florida to the Jefferson-Plaquemines Parish border in Louisiana
This means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area in the next 24 to 48 hours.
A storm surge watch is in effect for:
The Alabama-Florida border to the mouth of the Mississippi River
This means that there is “a possibility of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline” within the watch area in the next 48 hours.
The biggest threats from the storm
The primary impact from the system is expected to be heavy rain, which could lead to flash flooding across the Gulf Coast, especially in areas — like Texas’s Hill Country — that recently experienced torrential rainfall.
According to forecasters, the storm is expected to produce 2 to 4 inches of rain along the Gulf Coast, with up to 8 inches possible in isolated areas.
A storm surge of up to 4 feet is possible in coastal Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
And swells generated by the system could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents at beaches throughout the Gulf.
How is the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season shaping up?
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30. And forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are predicting eight to 14 total named storms — which is considered a below-normal season for the Atlantic basin. Out of those named storms, three to six are forecast to become hurricanes, including one to three major hurricanes (considered Category 3, 4 or 5).
An average season has 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season produced 13 named storms, including five hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
