Tropical Storm Bertha targeting the Gulf Coast

[00:00:00]Tropical storm Bertha targeting the Gulf Coast this week and a major threat for severe storms and tornadoes from the Midwest all the way to the northeast.

[00:00:07]Full forecast in a moment but first Alana Zack in Pensacola Beach, Florida.

[00:00:12]>> This time lapse shows the outer bands of tropical storm Bertha moving towards Florida's Gulf Coast on Monday. Flooding from storm surge is the biggest concern in places like Pensacola.

[00:00:24]>> Barricades will be set up to keep motorists away from here because almost every time this place floods, we have to perform water rescues.

[00:00:31]>> In Utah over the weekend, torrential rains and flash floods turned roadways into mud pits sending furniture sailing.

[00:00:39]In Provo, the fire department confirmed that Captain Spencer Long and four members of his family died in a flash flood.

[00:00:47]And in the northeast, a line of violent storms caused damage in several states.

[00:00:53]A lightning strike in New Jersey sounded like an explosion. In New York City, rescue workers waded through waist-deep water as submerged cars floated down the highway.

[00:01:05]Back here in Florida, shopkeepers on Pensacola Beach say fears of a tropical storm are keeping tourists out of their businesses.

[00:01:13]>> The tourists are watching the news. They see that we're about to be getting hit by a tropical storm so they're leaving.

[00:01:19]>> And there's only a few people on a beach that would normally be packed. That storm is moving so slowly at a rate of just about 1 mile an hour and there are two concerns with that. First, hanging out in these warm waters of the Gulf can continue to fuel and charge that system.

[00:01:36]Second, when it does come ashore, a slow-moving storm means torrential rain is possible. Tony.

[00:01:42]>> Sure does. Alana, thank you. Let's get that full forecast now. The expected tropical storm and several other severe weather threats tonight. Here's CBS New York chief weather caster Lonnie Quinn.

[00:01:51]Hey Lonnie, what are you seeing?

[00:01:54]>> Tony, what I see is well, first of all, I thought Lonnie was playing a great role giving all of her meteorological information because you're right, when the storm sits over warm water, it can get stronger. But right now, I have some good news to share in that department.

[00:02:06]It's picking up a lot of wind shear, so it's really getting kind of torn apart.

[00:02:09]I mean, we do have tropical storm watches anywhere from Panama City all the way to the mouth of the Mississippi.

[00:02:14]Winds right now 35 mph. It could strengthen a bit, but we never see those winds getting above 50 mph. So this will never become a strong tropical storm, certainly never a hurricane. With a landfall possibly as a tropical storm anywhere from St. Mobile, Alabama into Houston. Severe weather that's out there right now, it's up north of the area, anywhere from Des Moines to Marquette, a tornado watch in effect. That line of storms will be pushing to the east and for tomorrow, we're looking at places like Louisville to Washington, D.C., even into New York City with severe weather possible, but even that chance for an isolated tornado. All this driven by heat. Mississippi Valley, a lot of heat out there. Oklahoma City could be hitting 106 tomorrow. That heat will expand to the west by the time you hit the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

[00:02:54]Possibly a record in Portland at 98 on Wednesday. Tony, that's the latest.

[00:02:58]We're going to watch that storm, but right now, it is getting torn apart by headwinds, wind shear.

[00:03:03]>> All right, Lonnie, thank you.