Tropical Storm Bertha Lands : How to Stay Safe

Tropical Storm Bertha is making landfall along the Louisiana coast today, and storm safety for aging parents is suddenly top of mind for families across the Gulf Coast. The storm is bringing flooding rain, storm surge up to four feet, and dangerous rip currents from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana. For older adults living independently in the storm’s path, a fast, clear-eyed preparedness check can make all the difference.

Why This Matters to You

Power outages during storms like Bertha pose outsized risks for older adults who depend on electricity for oxygen concentrators, refrigerated medications, mobility scooters, or home medical monitoring equipment.

Limited mobility can also make evacuation or emergency shopping trips harder to manage on short notice. If you have aging parents or relatives in the storm zone, today is the day to check in—not tomorrow.

Key Facts & Context

As of Tuesday evening, Bertha was centered about 105 miles south-southeast of Mobile, Alabama, with sustained winds of 60 mph, moving toward landfall in Louisiana. Tropical storm watches and warnings stretch from Florida’s Panhandle through southeastern Louisiana, including Mobile, Alabama and Gulfport, Mississippi.

Forecasters expect up to four feet of storm surge and winds as high as 50 mph along the coast, with impacts reaching Texas later in the week. As of Tuesday, officials in Mississippi’s Harrison County had not ordered evacuations, but conditions can change quickly.

Emergency management officials note that flooding rain and rip currents often cause more harm during weaker storms like Bertha than the wind itself, since residents may underestimate a storm that isn’t classified as a hurricane. That’s an important distinction for older adults and caregivers who may associate danger only with higher-category storms.

What This Means for You

Have I checked in with my aging parent today?

A five-minute call or video chat can confirm your parent or older relative has water, medication, flashlights, and a charged phone or backup battery on hand before conditions worsen.

Is medical equipment backed up if the power goes out?

For anyone relying on powered medical equipment, confirm backup battery packs are charged and identify the nearest hospital or cooling center with power if an outage stretches beyond a few hours.

Do we have a check-in schedule for during and after the storm?

Agree on specific times to check in during and after the storm passes, especially if cell service becomes unreliable, so no one is left wondering if a loved one is safe.

Explore more: Home360’s smart home monitoring can alert family members to power loss or unusual conditions at a parent’s home in real time. Visit myhomethreesixty.com.

Looking Forward

Bertha is expected to weaken as it moves inland, but storm season is far from over, and this week is a good reminder to build a standing preparedness routine rather than scrambling each time. Gulf Coast communities with large retiree populations are especially encouraged to keep a standing supply kit and a written emergency contact list on hand year-round, not just when a storm is already offshore.

For more on keeping aging parents safe and connected from a distance, read our guides to aging-in-place home safety and staying connected with aging parents. A few minutes of preparation today can prevent a crisis tomorrow.