Updated
Updated · NPR · Jul 22
Tropical Storm Bertha Makes Landfall as El Niño Limits Damage Risk in Season's 2nd Storm
Updated
Updated · NPR · Jul 22

Tropical Storm Bertha Makes Landfall as El Niño Limits Damage Risk in Season's 2nd Storm

3 articles · Updated · NPR · Jul 22

Summary

  • Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall as the Atlantic season's second named storm, with damage expected to stay limited.
  • El Niño is expected to blunt some of Bertha's worst effects, reducing the storm's destructive potential after landfall.
  • Unusually warm Atlantic waters still keep the broader risk of damaging storms elevated, despite Bertha's relatively muted impact.

Insights

Will El Niño suppress the 2026 hurricane season, or will record ocean heat fuel a catastrophic superstorm?
As global crises inflate costs, can coastal areas still afford to prepare for a major hurricane this year?