(TLP:CLEAR) Tropical Storm Bertha Makes Landfall in Louisiana, Could Potentially Lead to Flash Flooding and Other Impacts

Summary: On July 22 at 3 p.m. ET, Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. Bertha is the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Although Bertha is not forecast to be a powerful storm, water and wastewater utilities should still take this opportunity to prepare for future extreme weather events as the season progresses.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), as of July 23, at 8 a.m. ET, Tropical Storm Bertha was located 145 miles southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, moving west at 13 mph, along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts. The storm is expected to move inland into Texas this evening and tonight. Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph with higher gusts, and Bertha is expected to maintain tropical storm strength until reaching the upper Texas coast later this afternoon, then dissipate inland over Texas by tonight or Friday. 

NHC meteorologists forecast Tropical Storm Bertha to produce total rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with isolated totals to 6 inches through the night of July 23 along the Texas Gulf Coast and southern Texas. Rainfall may produce isolated flash flooding, especially in urban areas.

Analyst Note: While meteorologists continue to predict a below-normal hurricane season this year, it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season, highlighting the importance of hurricane preparedness. Moreover, as Hurricane Helene demonstrated in 2024, impacts from a hurricane can extend beyond coastal areas and create devastation sometimes hundreds of miles inland. Hurricane Helene brought historic flooding across western North Carolina and significantly damaged over 160 water and wastewater utilities. In many communities, operational outages cut off clean drinking water and hindered sewage treatment for extended periods.

Original Sources:

• https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at2+shtml/231740.shtml?key_messages#contents
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/23/tropical-storm-bertha-texas-louisiana

Additional Reading:

• (TLP:CLEAR) Arthur Becomes First Named Storm of 2026 Hurricane Season

Mitigation Recommendations:

• Incident Action Checklist – Hurricane
• Power Resilience Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities
• Strengthening Water Infrastructure for Tomorrow (SWIFT)
• Hurricane Preparedness and Evacuation Planning

Related WaterISAC PIRs: 16, 17, & 18