Tropical Storm Bertha: 5 a.m. Wednesday morning update

[00:00:01]Welcome back. It's 5:13. Tropical Storm Bertha is sitting less than 50 miles off the mouth of the river and Plaquemines Parish, Grand Isle, these areas along the coast, that's where it is going to feel like a tropical storm here later this morning and into the afternoon. A weak tropical storm, nothing wild about this. It's a 50 mph storm with a weakening trend. So, that's the good news. We do have gusts though. That buoy that's sitting just near Chandeleur Island has produced a 48 mph wind gust, 32 closer to the center, 44 on the south side of it. We're gusting to 32 at the lakefront right now. And this is what's going to be moving inland. So, these 40 mph wind gusts are likely to move into Eastern St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and eventually down to Grand Isle here later this morning. The track of this, landfall's probably going to be around lunchtime, 1:00 p.m. or so, more than likely near the mouth of the river and then move across South Louisiana and then move towards Texas at a fairly steady rate. We are not expecting a lot of rain today inland. Now, along the coast, I do think there is a chance for some heavy rain around lunchtime. Along with the heavy rain, squally conditions with tropical storm conditions, Grand Isle. Here we are in Port Fourchon, that's at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 this afternoon. Notice New Orleans and North Shore, it's not dry, but we're not dealing with big widespread heavy rain.

[00:01:13]There's just some passing showers pivoting on through and then the core of the rain is staying down in the Gulf and moving off towards Texas. So, it still looks like this is not a flood risk.

[00:01:22]Now, there is a chance for some heavier rain along the coast as the center passes near Grand Isle and Port Fourchon and Plaquemines, but I really think that's going to be the extent of the heavy rainfall. Tropical storm warnings from Slidell to the lake all the way into New Orleans and down to the coast.

[00:01:36]Anywhere in blue is in a tropical storm warning. Yellow is a tropical storm watch where those winds over 40 mph are less likely, but there's a chance.

[00:01:45]Here's my hand-drawn wind forecast. I do think in coastal areas, Eastern St. Bernard through Plaquemines, Grand Isle, Port Fourchon, 50 mph wind gust is a possibility as the core of this system arrives and the rain arrives. Now, New Orleans, probably 30 to 40 mph wind gusts as we go throughout the day, and these will be coming off the lake. So, we'll be very windy on the lakefront, 30 to 5 to 45 mph for areas in Lafourche, closer to Houma, maybe a 40 45 mph wind gust is a possibility. So, power outages, I wouldn't say they're likely, but, you know, our power infrastructure down here, these types of winds can lead to some isolated power outages. So, those winds will start to pick up later this morning and especially in the the afternoon. That'll be the strongest wind gust we see, probably from noon to about 7:00 p.m., 30, 40, maybe 50 along the coast. And it is going to stay windy tonight. If you are in Grand Isle, tonight is going to be windy, and we do have an onshore flow down here in lower Jefferson. So, that's when the water is going to start to come up here in Jefferson. It'll be tonight. The water will start to come up already this morning and this afternoon for areas out side the levee protection system, Venetian Isles, down into Lake Borgne, Shell Beach, East Bank of Plaquemines Parish, 2 to 4 ft of water. That's going to rise as we go through the morning and into the afternoon. Again, for the coastal areas, highest tide will happen later on tonight. So, Grand Isle may have some coastal flooding as we wake up tomorrow morning. So, that's where we stand right now with Tropical Storm Bertha. I do have that weather impact lingering into tomorrow morning, but as Bertha moves towards Texas tomorrow afternoon, a few showers linger, and then we start to ramp the heat back up by the end of the week. We'll be in the mid-90s Saturday and Sunday. We'll be looking at very little rain. It's going to be a very hot and steamy weekend, and that'll continue into early next week.

[00:03:27]Our marine forecast, tropical storm warnings in effect for the Gulf and the lakes this morning. That'll continue all day. It'll still be dangerously choppy tonight. It will still be choppy tomorrow as Bertha departs us to the west. Friday, we start to see some improvements with those south winds only 10 to 15 knots. Our high tides are going to happen during the morning hours.

[00:03:46]That's when your coastal flooding will be most prominent. That'll happen again tomorrow morning, and low tides will happen as we head into the evening.

[00:03:53]All right, let's see what Lee is tracking.