Bertha update: The National Hurricane Center expanded Tropical Storm Warnings westward late Wednesday night as Tropical Storm Bertha moved toward the upper Texas coast. The new warning ran from Cameron, Louisiana, to Sargent, Texas, as the system moved closer to Louisiana.
At the 11 p.m. ET advisory, Bertha was about 75 miles southwest of New Orleans and about 135 miles east-southeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, was moving west at 12 mph, and had a minimum central pressure of 1002 mb.
New warning from Cameron
The National Hurricane Center ended the Tropical Storm Warning east of the Alabama/Mississippi border and discontinued the Tropical Storm Watch for Lake Maurepas in the same advisory. The warning line shifted west as the storm kept its path near the Louisiana coast overnight and toward the upper Texas coast on Thursday.
Residents from Cameron, Louisiana, to Sargent, Texas, were the ones newly added to the warning area. For them, the practical change is immediate: the alert now covers a wider stretch of the Gulf Coast, and the storm’s center was still westbound late Wednesday night.
Florida nests washed out
Although the storm was moving west along the Gulf Coast, it also left damage in Florida. Alligator Point Sea Turtle Patrol said all seven of its nests were washed over during the storm, and the patrol said every nest was either inundated with storm surge or completely washed out. It posted, “We didn't see you coming, Bertha, and we're glad to see you go!”
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol said Bertha did serious damage to its beaches and turtle nests, and only four of its 22 nests survived the storm. The difference between a nest being washed over and a chamber being filled with water is the difference between eggs surviving and eggs being ruined, which is why the storm surge report matters beyond the shoreline.
Bertha in Florida
The damage in Florida came alongside the western push of the warning area, showing that one storm can create coastal problems in more than one state at once. The source also said a Waffle House sign crashed into a parking lot in Panama City, Florida.
For coastal readers, the next step is to follow the warning area and the overnight track closely. Bertha was expected to keep moving westward near or along the Louisiana coast overnight and then approach the upper Texas coast on Thursday.
