Tropical Storm Bertha crawled onto the southern tip of Louisiana on Wednesday, making landfall and packing strong winds far from its center after closing beaches from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of New Orleans and 45 miles (72 kilometers) southwest of Biloxi, Mississippi.
Damaging wind and storm surge are the main threats for the Deep South states.
A tropical storm warning along the Gulf Coast includes New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain, the National Hurricane Center said.
Tropical storm force winds extend over 100 miles (160 kilometers) out from the center of Bertha, the hurricane center said.
Bertha is expected to continue losing strength over the next few days as it heads toward Texas after the storm earlier trudged past the Florida Panhandle and the tips of Alabama and Mississippi.
Storm surge up to 3 feet (1 meter) is possible in Louisiana as well as heavy rain in some areas, forecasters said.
