A system brewing in the Gulf is all but sure to reach tropical storm strength as it nears Louisiana early this week, and New Orleans officials are opening sandbag distribution sites and urging locals to prepare as much of the Gulf Coast braces for potentially heavy rains and damaging winds.
In a video posted to social media Sunday, Mayor Helena Moreno said the New Orleans metro could be under a tropical storm watch as early as Monday afternoon thanks to what National Hurricane Center forecasters warned will likely become the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season’s second named storm, Tropical Storm Bertha.
The tropical depression off the coast of the Florida Panhandle was gradually strengthening and becoming more organized as it moved northwestward, forecasters said Sunday…