Update (Wednesday, July 22, 3:30 p.m. EDT):
Tropical Storm Bertha has officially made landfall near the Biloxi Wildlife Management Area in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, around 2 p.m. CDT, as announced in a special statement put out by the NHC. Bertha is about 40 miles east of New Orleans and continues to move west-northwest at 7 mph (11 km/h). Gusty winds are expected to increase along the warned areas.
Original article, posted on Wednesday, July 22:
Tropical Storm Bertha is approaching the southeastern coast of Louisiana as it moves slowly west-northwest. The 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday, July 22, advisory indicated that Bertha holds maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h).
Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for the metropolitan New Orleans area and the Lake Pontchartrain region. You can expect tropical storm conditions, meaning winds that could exceed 39 mph, to remain in place at least through the overnight hours Wednesday into Thursday. It is likely that the Tropical Storm Watches that are in effect across the central and western coast of Louisiana will be upgraded to Tropical Storm Warnings during the next advisories.
