Corpus Christi, Texas – Communities along the Texas Gulf Coast are being urged to closely monitor Tropical Storm Bertha as the system continues moving west across the northern Gulf of Mexico, with the greatest impacts expected to approach the Middle to Upper Texas Coast late Thursday into early Friday.
According to the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi and the National Hurricane Center’s 4 a.m. CDT advisory, Tropical Storm Bertha is maintaining a steady westward track with little change in its forecast path or forward speed. The storm is expected to remain a tropical storm as it tracks near the northern Gulf Coast before moving inland over the Middle to Upper Texas Coast, where it is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression.
While no significant changes to the expected hazards for the Texas Coast have been announced, residents from Corpus Christi and Port Aransas north through Matagorda Bay, Galveston and surrounding coastal communities should continue monitoring the system. The National Weather Service notes that the strongest thunderstorms remain concentrated south of Bertha’s center, meaning locally heavy rain, gusty winds, rough surf and isolated coastal flooding could develop as rain bands approach the coast.
Tropical Storm Watches and Warnings remain posted farther east from portions of the Florida Panhandle westward to Louisiana, where impacts are expected before the storm reaches Texas.
Now is the time for coastal residents to review hurricane plans, secure outdoor items, ensure mobile devices are charged and stay informed through trusted forecasts. While forecast confidence remains steady, tropical systems can shift track or intensity with little notice. Additional advisories and any necessary watches or warnings for the Texas coast could be issued as Bertha approaches later Thursday and Friday.
