Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in southern Louisiana on Wednesday, bringing strong winds and widespread closures across the Gulf Coast. The slow-moving storm, which had already prompted beach closures from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi, touched down in St. Bernard Parish, approximately 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of New Orleans.
The National Hurricane Center reported Bertha's maximum sustained winds at 45 mph (72 kph) at the time of landfall. Forecasters anticipate the storm will maintain this intensity as it tracks towards the upper Texas coast by Thursday.
