Southwest Flight Attendant Immigration Case: Everything Travelers Need to Know Now

Tropical Storm Bertha continues to churn along the northern Gulf Coast after making two quick landfalls, first near Gulf Shores, Alabama, and again west of Pascagoula, Mississippi, late Thursday. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says the storm’s loosely organized center will hug the coastline through Friday before sliding inland across southeast Texas this weekend, keeping millions under tropical-storm warnings and flood watches. At 8 a.m. CT Friday, Bertha’s sustained winds remained near 40 mph, but its slow westward drift at just 6 mph is amplifying the rainfall threat. Forecast models project widespread 2–4 inches of rain, with localized pockets up to 6 inches from eastern Louisiana to the upper Texas coast; urban areas such as New Orleans, Lake Charles, Beaumont and Houston are most vulnerable to street flooding and overwhelmed drainage systems. Offshore, dangerous rip currents and seas topping 8 feet are expected to keep most beaches red-flagged through the weekend. Bertha’s structure remains lopsided, so the bulk of the downpours and tropical-storm-force gusts are occurring well east of the center. Overnight, Doppler radar sampled wind gusts over 50 mph in Mobile, Alabama, while buoy stations south of Pensacola measured 10-foot waves. Despite the messy core, the warm August-level Gulf waters are preventing rapid weakening; forecasters do not expect Bertha to reach hurricane strength, but it could hold together as a strong tropical depression into early next week. Key impacts by state • Alabama / Florida Panhandle: Occasional tropical-storm gusts, flash-flood risk in low-lying bays and barrier islands. • Mississippi: Rainfall totals 3–5 inches, brief spin-up tornadoes possible in outer bands Friday afternoon. • Louisiana: Heaviest rain shifts west of the Mississippi River Friday night; New Orleans metro could see localized street flooding during peak commute hours. • Texas: Landfall as a weakening tropical storm or depression near High Island early Saturday; onshore flow may push water 1–2 feet above normal tides from Galveston Bay to Sabine Lake. What’s next in the tropics? Bertha is the season’s second named storm, arriving nearly three weeks before the historical August ramp-up. Ocean temperatures across the Main Development Region are running 1–2 °F above average, prompting the NHC to maintain an “above-normal” outlook of 21 named storms and 10 hurricanes for 2026. No additional systems are expected to form over the next five days, but forecasters stress that early-season activity often foreshadows an active peak from late August through October. Preparedness tips 1. Clear storm drains and gutters now to reduce rapid street flooding. 2. Keep a three-day supply of drinking water, medications and batteries in case of short-notice evacuations. 3. If you live in a flood-prone zone, park vehicles on higher ground and have sandbags ready. 4. Beachgoers should heed red-flag warnings; rip currents remain life-threatening well ahead of the center. 5. Monitor NOAA Weather Radio or the FEMA app for real-time updates as Bertha tracks west. Bottom line While Tropical Storm Bertha is unlikely to intensify, its slow crawl and sprawling rain shield mean flooding, coastal erosion and sporadic power outages are still on tap for the Gulf Coast through the weekend. Residents from Alabama to Texas should stay alert, follow local emergency guidance and avoid driving through water-covered roads until the storm finally exits early next week.