Tropical Storm Bertha forms off the Florida coast, prompting storm alerts
Tropical Storm Bertha has formed off the Florida coast, prompting watches and warnings across the Gulf Coast including parts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The storm is expected to move slowly westward and weaken before dissipating later in the week.
Why it matters
It provides critical safety information for residents in the path of a developing weather system that could cause localized flooding and dangerous conditions.
Tropical Storm Bertha was churning early on Tuesday about 110 miles south-southwest of Panama City, Florida, moving northwest at about 5 mph, with maximum sustained winds at about 50 mph.
Tropical storm watches and warnings were in effect for parts of the Florida Panhandle to the coast of southeastern Louisiana, including Florida's Panama City and Pensacola, along with Mobile, Alabama, and Gulfport, Mississippi.
A tropical storm watch was in effect for New Orleans on Tuesday morning.
An ABC News graphic shows the forecast on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. ABC News A tropical depression that formed over the weekend strengthened on Monday night into Tropical Storm Bertha, the National Hurricane Center, prompting a tropical storm watch on Monday for parts of the Gulf Coast.
A tropical storm is defined as a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph to 73 mph.
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