07/22 Ryan’s “Tropical Storm Bertha” Wednesday Forecast

Tropical Storm Bertha is passing south of us today, bringing grey, gusty weather and possible coastal flooding.

Tropical Storm Bertha is as close as it’s going to be to South MS, passing just to the south and moving into Southeastern Louisiana. Bertha has never been the most organized storm, but its satellite presentation continues to degrade as dry air and considerable northerly wind shear is keeping any significant convection (thunderstorm activity) pushed to the southwest of the center. That means even if it was right on top of us, rainfall would still be light and spotty, but winds would be a bit stronger. Currently they’re lingering in the neighborhood of 15-20 mph, which is noticeable, but not likely to cause many issues on their own. Gusts of upwards of 40 mph aren’t out of the question, still below severe criteria, but enough to shake already compromised/weak limbs and trees loose under the right circumstances.

The biggest issue remains coastal flooding, which I have seen some evidence of in the Back Bay area. Storm surge levels of between 2-4 feet are expected throughout the day, though the tide is slowly lowering which will help a little with that.