A small portion of the coastal Florida Panhandle remained under a tropical storm warning as Bertha inched westward on Wednesday morning.
Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties are expected to see minor impacts from Tropical Storm Bertha through at least Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Dangerous rip currents and high surf at Pensacola Beach will be the primary factor, while the threat of tropical storm-force winds diminishes throughout the day.
The area remains under a high surf warning until 6 a.m. on Thursday, a coastal flood advisory until 10 a.m. on Thursday and a rip current statement until 6 a.m. on Friday.
Bertha’s peak intensity for our area is firmly behind us. Pensacola residents should still take caution while navigating throughout the day. Here’s what to know.
How has Tropical Storm Bertha impacted Pensacola so far?
Tropical Storm Bertha brought the worst conditions to Pensacola Beach, bringing swells over 9 feet overnight on Wednesday. Storm surge reached over two feet on Wednesday night. A high chance of life-threatening rip currents remains at Pensacola Beach through Thursday night.
A 49 mph gust of wind was recorded at the NAS Pensacola just before 6 a.m. on Wednesday. There have been no reports of wind damage. The Pensacola International Airport reported less than three-quarters of an inch of rain over the past 12 hours.
The National Weather Service hasn’t received any local storm reports from the area.
Tropical Storm Betha impacts still to come
Pensacola will see diminishing impacts from Bertha through Wednesday as the storm moves away from the area at a snail’s pace.
Wednesday will be breezy, with winds blowing steadily around 20 mph until Wednesday night. Gusts will get as high as 35 mph on Wednesday afternoon, but also fall by the evening.
Rain chances are likely throughout Wednesday afternoon, with the NHC indicating that as much as an additional inch of rain could fall. We can expect to see a drop in precipitation on Wednesday evening. There is a chance to see more rain from the system early Thursday morning, bringing as much as a quarter-inch, according to the NWS.
Pensacola Beach has a high chance of seeing life-threatening rip currents in the surf zones through Thursday night, with the threat dropping to moderate on Friday. Swells are still measuring between 6 and 8 feet in some areas along the beach. Beachgoers can expect those conditions to persist throughout Wednesday.
Where is Tropical Storm Bertha right now?
At 7 a.m. CT, the center of Tropical Storm Bertha was located near latitude 29.5 North, longitude 88.5 West. Bertha is moving toward the west near 5 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue through Friday with a little acceleration.
On the forecast track, Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next couple of days. Data from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds remain near 50 mph with higher gusts.
Gradual weakening is forecast over the next several days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center. A wind gust to 49 mph was recently reported at the Pensacola Naval Air Station.
Dropsonde data from the NOAA aircraft indicate that the minimum central pressure is 997 mb (29.44 inches).
Florida weather radar for July 22, 2026
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
Forecast path for Tropical Storm Bertha
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: What to expect as Tropical Storm Bertha leaves Pensacola
Reporting by Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal | USA TODAY Network
