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Tropical Storm Bertha
Status: Closed
| Type of posting | Posting date(EST): | Summary | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Landfall 2 | 8/4/2014 1:40:00 PM |
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| Pre-Landfall 1 | 8/1/2014 12:30:00 PM |
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Pre-Landfall 2 | Summary
Posting Date: August 4, 2014, 1:40:00 PM
Hurricane Bertha to Veer Away from U.S. East Coast; Puerto Rico Drenched
Bertha, which became the second hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic season today, made its way through the Caribbean as a weak and disorganized tropical storm this past weekend. Bertha is heading north and is expected to pass along the U.S. East Coast without making landfall.
Meteorological History
For most of Bertha’s journey through the Caribbean, maximum sustained winds were 45 mph (72 km/h). Interaction with Puerto Rico and Hispaniola caused the storm to barely retain closed circulation and kept it at tropical storm status.
Several inches of rain fell in the Turks & Caicos Islands, and more than 8 inches of rain fell in parts of central Puerto Rico (see NWS precipitation map). Much of the island has been experiencing abnormally dry conditions, with the southernmost part in a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor report issued on July 31, 2014, so the precipitation associated with the bypassing Bertha may be beneficial.
24-hour estimated rainfall for TS Bertha, Aug. 2-3, 2014 (Source: National Weather Service)
Reported Damage
Power outages and flight cancellations make up the majority of reported damage, with some areas such as St. Croix reporting downed trees. There were nearly 29,000 households without electricity on Puerto Rico on Sunday, with most outages concentrated in the central mountainous areas. Hundreds were reported to be without power in the Dominican Republic over the weekend, and Martinique’s electric company reported that 150,000 homes were without power at one point due to an underlying problem at the power plant, which Bertha exacerbated. More than 80,000 on Martinique had their power back four hours after losing it. In addition to power outages, there were numerous flight cancellations throughout the Caribbean.
Forecast and Intensity
Bertha is not expected to impact any land areas until after it completes its post-tropical transition, when it may impact Newfoundland on Thursday.
Forecast track map for Hurricane Bertha (Source: National Hurricane Center)
The AIR tropical cyclone team will continue to monitor Bertha as it moves along the U.S. East Coast toward Newfoundland. The team is also tracking Hurricane Iselle and Tropical Storm Julio in the eastern Pacific and any impact they may have on Hawaii.