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A tropical depression formed about 150 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River the evening of August 7th. The system strengthened to Tropical Storm Bertha by daybreak on August 8th and began to move more northwestward as a high pressure ridge aloft prevailed over the Central U.S. Bertha quickly organized reaching the first peak intensity of 65 mph (55 knots) later that evening about 80 miles off the Southeast Louisiana coast. Bertha weakened a bit overnight, but began re-intensifying just off the South-Central Louisiana coast on August 9th as it continued northwest towards the Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas coast.
Tropical Storm Bertha reached a secondary peak intensity while making landfall between Sabine Pass and Cameron around Midnight with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (55 knots) and an estimated minimum pressure of 998 mbar (29.47 inches). Bertha quickly weakened across Southeast Texas, downgraded to a tropical depression by Noon August 10th, dissipating over Northeast Texas during the overnight hours. Click here for an interactive map of Tropical Storm Bertha.
Bertha made landfall across the same area where Hurricane Audrey made landfall about 6 weeks earlier. This generated increased media attention and concern from local officials and residents still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Audrey. Increased precautions and evacuations were carried out across Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas. While Bertha was much weaker than Audrey at landfall, it certainly did not help the recovery situation bringing tropical storm force winds and increased tides to an area devastated and still recovering from Audrey.
WIND & PRESSURE:
At the Weather Bureau in Port Arthur, TX, the highest sustained winds of 44 mph (38 knots) with a peak wind gust of 52 mph (45 knots) was recorded around 9:44 PM CST August 9th, with a minimum sea level pressure of 1001.7 millibars (29.58 inches) at 1 AM CST August 10th when the center of Bertha was closest to the station. At the Weather Bureau in Lake Charles, LA, sustained winds of 30 mph with higher gusts prevailed the evening of August 9th through the time of landfall. Higher winds of 50 to 65 mph were estimated from reconnaissance flight along the coast near landfall. Sustained winds of 40 to 65 mph (35 to 55 knots) were reported from various ships off the Louisiana coast during the day on August 9th. Observations obtained from the Hurricane Re-analysis Project (1957) and hourly surface observations from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NECI).
STORM SURGE:
Bertha generally produced a storm surge of 2-4 feet MSL along the Southwest Louisiana coast, and around 4-6 feet MSL across the South-Central Louisiana coast. Post storm high water mark surveys conducted by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers revealed the highest storm surge of 6.5 feet above MSL was observed at Morgan City, LA. Other readings found are as follows (above MSL): Schooner Bayou, 16 miles south-southwest of Abbeville, 4.8 feet; Vermilion Lock, 4.3 feet; Catfish Point Control Structure near Grand Chenier, 3.5 feet; Calcasieu Lock near Hackberry, 2.7 feet; and Lake Charles Dock, 2.5 feet. For other storm surge and high-water marks across our region, see the Storm Surge section.
RAINFALL:
Rainfall with Bertha averaged between 1 to 3 inches across Southern Louisiana and Southeast Texas. The highest rainfall within our area 3.46 inches at Morgan City, Louisiana and 3.38 inches in Beaumont, Texas. Bertha and later the remnants, produced much heavier rainfall amounts north of the region across Northeast Texas with 10.87 inches reported in Long Lake, and 13.77 in Damascus, Arkansas. For complete rainfall totals reported across our region, see the Rainfall section.
TORNADOES:
No tornadoes were reported.
Webpage design and content by: Donovan Landreneau
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