Texas catastrophe deepens as Bertha's flooding death toll rises to three
Bertha's Texas landfall killed three people and triggered 500+ rescues across 59 counties.
Event / Disaster
Atlantic Hurricane Season 2026
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season includes Tropical Storm Bertha and associated weather events causing flooding and damage across affected regions.
11 reported locations
Daily activity
0 articles0 articles
2026-08-15 to 2026-11-12 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 21 Jul, 05:29 UTC
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What happened
Over 500 rescues conducted during Texas floods
The catastrophic floods in Texas this month prompted more than 500 rescues. The flooding also damaged homes and businesses, with some areas remaining inaccessible.
Texas Governor declares disaster in 59 counties
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 59 counties affected by the catastrophic floods and requested federal disaster help for 33 counties.
Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall in Texas
Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in Texas on Thursday. State officials reported no new reports of flooded homes or businesses specifically attributed to that storm, though the region had already been affected by heavy rainfall from several days prior.
Third death confirmed in Texas catastrophic floods
Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that a third person was killed in catastrophic floods that occurred this month. The victim was a person attempting to drive through floodwaters who was swept away on Monday.
Nueces River crests at major flood stage in Texas
The Nueces River reached major flood stage at 29 feet (8.8 meters) in Central Texas. The river has crested and is expected to continue declining, though other areas downstream will continue to see water levels rise into early August, notably at the Lake Corpus Christi reservoir.
Hurricane Fausto churns in eastern Pacific Ocean
Hurricane Fausto was located hundreds of miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The hurricane was forecast to gradually strengthen, and ocean swells generated by Fausto were spreading along the Baja California coast, likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip tides.
Bertha is second tropical storm of 2026 Atlantic hurricane season
Tropical Storm Bertha is the second tropical storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Arthur occurred in June and brought heavy rainfall to the southeastern U.S.
Tornadoes reported across multiple states from storms on Tuesday
A line of storms on Tuesday generated reports of tornadoes stretching from Cincinnati to New Jersey. Torrential rains caused flash floods that swamped homes, washed out bridges, and led to water rescues in West Virginia.
Storm surge and wind impacts reported across Gulf Coast
Wind and storm surge posed the main threats for Deep South states. Storm surges up to 3 feet were forecast for Louisiana and Alabama. A wind gust of 44 mph was recorded at New Orleans Lakefront Airport. Tropical storm force winds extended 160 miles from the storm's center. Strong winds knocked over a Waffle House sign onto a car in Panama City Beach, Florida. Parks, piers, and low-lying roads were closed along the coast.
Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall in Louisiana
Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish on Wednesday afternoon, approximately 40 miles east of New Orleans. Early Thursday, the storm was located about 110 miles southwest of New Orleans and 120 miles southeast of Lake Charles, moving west at 12 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
Tropical storm and extreme heat warnings issued simultaneously for Southern Louisiana
Southern Louisiana was placed under both tropical storm and extreme heat warnings for much of Wednesday, a rare combination that had not occurred in at least two decades according to National Weather Service records dating back to 2005.
Tropical Storm Bertha forecast to reach Texas coast Thursday
Tropical Storm Bertha was forecast to reach the upper Texas coast on Thursday before dissipating inland in Texas by Friday. Rain totals were predicted between 1 and 4 inches, with higher amounts possible in isolated areas.
Tropical storm warnings extended across Gulf Coast from Florida to Louisiana
Tropical storm warnings remained in effect from the Okaloosa-Walton county line in Florida to Morgan City, Louisiana, covering cities including Pensacola, Mobile, Biloxi, Gulfport, and metropolitan New Orleans. These areas were expected to experience tropical storm conditions with sustained winds of 39-73 mph.
Storm surge warning issued for Louisiana and Mississippi coasts
A coastal flood warning was issued for southeastern Louisiana and the Mississippi coast, with storm surge expected to reach 1 to 3 feet in most coastal areas and 2 to 4 feet in eastern Louisiana from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Mississippi-Alabama state line.
Louisiana Governor directs residents to emergency preparedness resources
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry directed residents to an online resource center and urged them to stay prepared and up to date on Tropical Storm Bertha's development as the storm approached the coast.
Tropical Storm Bertha forecast to move into Texas after Louisiana landfall
After making landfall in Louisiana, Tropical Storm Bertha was forecast to move near or along the Louisiana and upper Texas coasts through July 23, with its center expected to reach the Brazos River between Houston and Angleton by 7 p.m. CT on July 23, moving farther inland into Texas on July 24.
Tropical Storm Bertha formed as second named storm of 2026 hurricane season
Tropical Storm Bertha formed on Monday, July 21, 2026, in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, becoming the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. It turned westward with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall in southeastern Louisiana
Tropical Storm Bertha, the second named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on July 22, 2026, near the city of Houma. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving slowly west at 5-6 mph.
Tropical Storm Bertha expected to bring 1 to 4 inches of rainfall to Gulf Coast
The National Hurricane Center anticipated 1 to 4 inches of rainfall across Gulf Coast areas, with isolated incidents of up to 6 inches possible, which could cause flash flooding in urban areas and low-lying coastal regions.
Tropical Storm Bertha threatens Gulf Coast with heavy rainfall and flooding
Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with locally higher totals around 8 inches through Friday along the Gulf Coast and adjacent inland locations from western Florida to the Middle Texas Coast. The rainfall may produce areas of flash flooding, especially in urban areas, with flash flooding concerns elevated in the Texas Hill Country due to recent significant flooding in that region.
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2 alternative perspectives
Hurricane Fausto intensifies in eastern Pacific near Mexico
Hurricane Fausto intensified in the eastern Pacific near Baja California, Mexico.
Storm-spawned tornadoes reported across multiple states Tuesday
Tornadoes spawned from storms struck multiple states Tuesday, including New Jersey.
Bertha barrels toward Texas after Louisiana landfall
Bertha makes Louisiana landfall, heads to Texas with dual storm and heat threats.
Tropical Storm Bertha makes landfall in southeastern Louisiana
Tropical Storm Bertha made Louisiana landfall with Gulf Coast warnings and expected inland movement to Texas.
Tropical Storm Fausto intensifies across eastern Pacific waters
Tropical Storm Fausto intensifies in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Atlantic season forecast shows below-normal activity as Arthur forms
2026 Atlantic season forecast shows below-normal activity; Tropical Storm Arthur formed in June.
Tropical Storm Bertha forms in Gulf, threatens coastal flooding
Tropical Storm Bertha threatens Gulf Coast with heavy rainfall and storm surge.